Fate:stay night: The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: On the day before he was to die, Issei Hyoudou received a deck of cards, albeit very bizarre ones. The next day, just before Issei is about to be to killed by Raynare, an unknown power awakens within. Reviving lost souls? Cute monster girls? Angels and demons? Not quite what he pictured his life when dealing with insanely hot women. Non-SG Issei/Heaven's Feel Issei
1. Night 1

_"Legends."_

 _When you heard this word, what's the first thing you think of? The likes of Oda Nobunaga, the fearsome warlord? Musashi, who was famed for having cut down a hundred men by themselves alone?_

 _To be perfectly honest, I didn't really understand it all that much why people believed that some of these legends were real, especially myths like Tamamo-no-Mae or the gods._

 _At least...not at first. I didn't realize the truth until the day my girlfriend tried to kill me on our first date together._

 _Let me explain so you guys can understand. My name is Issei Hyoudou. I'm 17-years-old, and a second-year at Kuoh Academy. It used to be an all-girls private academy until recently, and my own personal paradise. If there's anything you guys need to know about me, it is two things:_

 _The first is obvious. I am a pervert. I love all things ecchi. ESPECIALLY oppai._

 _The second is...well, pretty weird._

 _I'm not normal._

* * *

 **High School DxD x Fate/stay night Crossover:**

 **"Fate/stay night: The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven"**

* * *

 ** _Night 1: Your Fate Is In The Cards_**

"...good grief, Hyoudou-kun. How many times does this make this month?"

Issei Hyoudou, a young teen with brown eyes and hair, slightly spiked up at the back, scratched his cheek with an abashed look on his face, sitting across from a young girl about a year older than him. Like all female students, she wore a white dress shirt with a black cape atop her shoulders, plus a red skirt with white accents. Her hair was black, cut short at the chin while glasses obscured her purple eyes with a glare reflected upon them.

Her name was Sona Shitori, the Student Council President of Kuoh Academy...and currently, the brunette before her was the biggest headache she has ever met.

"I don't know..." Issei said as he rubbed his arm. Bandages were wrapped around his torso and left arm while a small band-aid was found at his cheek, covering up a particularly nasty bruise. "The third...fourth time?"

"Try eleventh." Sona deadpanned. "Normally, sexual harassment would otherwise have you on grounds of expulsion...yet the only reason I haven't done so is because of your academic potential." She pushed up her glasses, removing the glare to show her beautiful eyes digging into his own. Issei promptly recoiled, feeling as if he was standing before the Yama himself. "The required academic average to enroll here is a GPA of 3.5. According to records, you have a 3.7. Not noteworthy, but impressive enough."

The glare increased. For a moment, the boy felt killing intent.

"So then...why is it that a smart boy such as yourself is constantly getting beaten to within an inch of his life, on multiple occasions I might add, for trying to peek on the school's kendo club in the locker room?"

"Ehehe..." Issei chuckled awkwardly from the glare she was giving him. "Because...I...uh..." How could he say this...?

"Because what?"

"W-well, a man has urges, you know?"

 _'...ouch.'_ Issei cringed inwardly. _'Who knew a glare could hurt so much?'_

The disappointment from Sona's stare spoke volumes. For several seconds, she stared at him with an unreadable expression that made him shift uncomfortably in his seat. Eventually, she sighed and pinched her nose. "...as always, you never cease to amaze me with how far your willing to punish yourself, simply to sake your own libido." she muttered before giving him a critical glare. "For the next week, you'll be serving detention along with Motohama-kun and Matsuda-kun. I expect the three of you to be there on the dot by 3:35 PM. Any later, and you can expect a more severe punishment."

"Y-yes, Kaichou..." Issei whimpered, nodding swiftly in succession.

The woman gave a grunt. "I suppose that concludes our business then." Sona remarked as she stood up, making her way towards the door. "Also, please be aware that even I have a tolerance limit, Hyoudou-kun. Any more repeats like today, and I may be forced to suspend you, or worse. Please try and understand that."

"Y-yes ma'am..."

With that, Sona closed the door behind her, leaving Issei to himself. Alone in the Nurse's Office, the boy sighed heavily and stood up from his chair, soon falling onto the bed with a wince. His side burned angrily in pain, still feeling bamboo pelting it. Groaning, he rolled unto his back, soon letting out a blissful gasp.

In all honesty, he was used to the pain, being on the receiving end of the Kendo Club's wooden swords on a constant basis.

Then again, the pain was worth it. After all...

 _'Haaa...Murayama and Katase's bodies are so fucking beautiful. Kuoh effin' rocks!'_

...he was a pervert of the highest degree.

Enrolling at this school was the best decision he ever made without question.

Although, going by what Sona told him...he might have to cut back on his daily activities.

As much as he enjoyed appreciating the bodies of the fairer sex, he was not keen on getting expelled from school over such a thing. That, and chances were, his parents would kill him. No, wait, scratch that. Lament over the fact that he was never going to get married, and then kill him. Seriously, what was the problem for having an appreciation for the butts and boobs of naked skin?! He didn't see what was wrong!

Regardless, Issei needed to take Sona's words to heart. Sighing, he ran a hand down his face. "Detention's gonna suck..."

* * *

Unknown to Issei, Sona Shitori stood outside the Nurse's Office, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed with a troubled expression on her face. "No signs of magical potential whatsoever..." she murmured, closing her eyes and dipped her head in thought. "And no hints or signs of possessing a Sacred Gear, either. He's practically an ordinary human being." Opening her eyes, she looked over to the side, finding a familiar, long mane of red hair standing not far away from him. "That boy is quite troublesome. Remind me again, why did I allow him to attend this school, letter of recommendation from the Grand Master of the Mage's Association be damned?"

"Because of the letter of recommendation." Rias Gremory pointed out to her with a small, cheery grin. "And you never could resist leaving a puzzle unsolved."

"Yet this puzzle is leaving me quite vexed because of its perversion." Sona said flatly, adjusting her glasses. "He obviously studied extensively to get into Kuoh, yet ever since, his grades have been either just short of average or below average. The scores on the entrance exam speak of his academic skills, but from day 1, all he's done is peek on the kendo club in the locker rooms as they change, as well as peek on the swim club when they're in the pool. At this point in time, I'm debating whether or not to have Tsubasa be in charge of his discipline."

The red-haired buxom beauty, one of the Three Great Ladies, giggled. "My goodness, Sona." she said, amused by what she was seeing. "This is the first time I've seen you so vexed."

"It is because he is extremely aggravating to deal with. No matter the outcomes and consequences, he is unrepetent of his actions." Sona groaned, palming her face. "Sometimes I wonder if we should just return Kuoh back to an all-girls academy. At least then, I wouldn't have to deal with this."

"But if you did that, you'd lose Saji-kun." Rias told her with a small smile. "Besides, I for one think following his desires is rather adorable, don't you?"

"Only you would think so, Rias. At any rate..." The Student Council President pushed herself off the wall as her face became much more serious. "What's the word about the Fallens who've taken residence in our territory?"

Rias' smile fell.

"Unfortunately, they still have yet to make any movements. They remained in what I could only assume as their base of operations." She answered. The abandoned church on the outskirts of town. It's rather old and worn down, but it hasn't been occupied. For the meantime, I have Koneko keeping an eye out." The woman frowned heavily herself, putting a hand to her chin. "I still don't understand...why would they risk invading our territory? Especially given who our siblings are?"

Sona sighed. "Who can say? Even still, we must watch them carefully. After all, simply because we are in the middle of a ceasefire does not mean we are out of the woods. While there may be talks of a peace treaty, everyone is treading on thin ice. All it takes is a few sparks to set off the explosives."

"True enough..."

"I am glad you understand. So please remember to tread carefully." Sona added.

At this, Rias scoffed. "Don't I always?"

"That's what has me concerned..."

* * *

"What a backwater town..."

That was the only opinion the figure could give as she surveyed the city of Kuoh down below her. Had anybody seen her, they would have mistaken her for a bird, or most likely a crow, given the feathered, ebony black wings that rested behind her shoulders. She was perhaps the embodiment of a cold beauty, with a beautiful face that resembled near perfection, her luscious pink lips set into a scowl of disdain. Her figure was slender, her skin without blemish nor stain, and her figure a finely-shaped hourglass. Her attire was little more than black leather, straps moving in various directions with spikes at the shoulders and at the heel. Her posture was set into lazy boredom, legs crossed over one another with a hand cupping her cheek, staring down at the town with disinterest. Her violet eyes gazed at it with apathy while her silky black hair flowed through the breezes that past by her.

She just couldn't understand why she was sent here. She didn't question her orders, as they came directly from her superior, the person she loved and admired more than anything else in the world. That being said, she still didn't quite understand why she was here, but she never questioned it. Kuoh was a city of little interest to her, and why should it? It was nothing more than a city of lazy pathetic lower beings, though she did receive a few letters from her friend, Kalawarner, that there was some excitement to be had, though the context of such letters had only made her roll her eyes when it involved seducing younger men than herself... which was saying a whole lot, given how old she was. Heck, just about almost all of them were nearly a century old! But, getting back on topic, her orders were to simply observe someone in the city. She was given a picture of the person that had suddenly interested her superior, but she would receive the details from Dohnaseek, another of her ilk tasked with watching over the town.

With that said, caution was advised. Backwater town it may be, it was still the territory of both the Pillars of Gremory and Sitri, and given that, she dared not want to imagine what would happen if they violated the peace here. If they had, a fate worse than death was sure to be upon them, and death was not exactly high on her priorities. She sighed to herself as she began to fly to where her friends were, stationed at a small rundown church at the outskirts of the city. As she did so, she pulled out a small paper from out of her cleavage, little more than a small photograph. Her target was printed on it, a boy with brown hair and eyes with a goofy smile on his face. Raynare gave an eye roll at the face of the person she was asked to investigate. They didn't look even the slightest bit interesting, hell he was even duller than she was expecting.

"I'll never understand what Azazel-sama sees in pathetic humans like this."

Raynare held little interest over humans. In fact, there was a great disdain for them in her heart. Even though God had made them in His image, they had done nothing to deserve the love, respect, admiration, and recognition from Him. No, all they did was ruin themselves. One need not look any further than history. How many civilizations fell at the hands of their own folly? How many kingdoms fell at their own foolish actions? How many kings were slain because of their incompetence? How many years have passed since humanity had ever, truly, come to realize their mistakes and break free from this wretched path of theirs? The fallen angel held them in so little regard that, in a small part of her, she greatly enjoyed their suffering. There was also another part of her that resented them. He believed that humans were worth attention, but why? What was so great about them? Why would they have to watch over such pathetic beings? They were so much greater...higher beings!

Raynare hated humans. Simple as that.

She gave one last look at the picture of her target, then tucked it away in her cleavage. As much as she hated it, Azazel had given her orders. Unless orders changed, she would observe him. Though she wished she was instead given orders to kill him once she's gotten she needs out of him, whatever it was.

Now, came the question...how to approach him?

* * *

"I'm home...!" Issei tiredly announced as he dragged his feet into the entryway, placing his shoes in the cupboard and setting his bag on the rack. "Ugh...what a long day..."

"You're home late, Issei." His mother called out from the kitchen. "Did you get detention...again?"

"Yeah..." he answered, trudging into the living room. At the table, he found his father flipping through a newspaper. "What's for dinner...?"

"Beefsteak." his father answered before looking down from his paper. "Let me guess...those bruises from peeking on the kendo club again?" Issei didn't give an answer. Instead, he waltzed over to the couch and plopped down on it, facedown in one of the pillows. "I'll take that as a yes." His father sighed heavily, turning to his wife. "Dear?"

"Yes?"

"...are we ever going to have grandchildren?!"

Issei groaned, burying his face further. He was too tired to even argue with his parents.

It was like this all the time. He would get in trouble, get detention, go home, and his parents lament that he could possibly stay single for the rest of his life. He didn't see what the problem was, though! He was a healthy teenage boy! Who didn't obsess over the female body at his age?! ...okay, maybe not as extensive as him. But still.

Did his parents really have to act like they were so disappointed in him. It kinda stings...it really does...

Sighing, the boy closed his eyes. He knew he would get in trouble, but detention, plus Sona herself, had left him utterly drained. He really just wanted to go to sleep right now.

 _'Maybe if I'm lucky...I'll dream up of a girlfriend.'_ he thought, his eyes sagging. _'A really cute one with a bitchin' rack. Or maybe a couple girlfriends.'_ A perverted giggle escaped him as he soon closed his eyes, drifting off into his own perverted mind. _'Haaaah...I wonder what she'll be like when I dream of her. Heeheehee...'_

* * *

In a certain location, hidden away from the rest of the world, an elderly man sat in a room, surrounded by lavish furniture. It was hardly grand, like one would expect to see if they knew the man, but it was luxurious enough. Soft red walls decorated the background, filled with portraits of various scenes: the battle between King Arthur and Mordred, Gilgamesh of Urk battling Enkidu for the first time, Asterious battling Theseus - there were many. A lofty couch was seated in front of a round table, which held but one item: a crystal ball that seemingly floated above it. Within this ball was a myriad of swirling colors.

"Hm...seems like the young man of that world is doing nicely." the room's occupant chuckled, stroking his beard. "Though I didn't think he'd summon Altera of all people. Hoh, the boy's got his work cut out for him! Especially with what he's gotten himself into." A curious smile formed across his face as he waved a hand over the ball. Inside, the colors twisted about, swirling and shifting into new, more darker and vibrant shades. "Now, what about this world...?"

He leaned in to inspect the sight shown in the ball. His expression reflected his sparked intrigue. "Oho...what's this now? He doesn't have Boosted Gear...but something else entirely." One could hear the mirth in his voice. "And to think it is THAT of all things..."

Slowly, a wide grin spread across his face. "Hehehe...how interesting." The man dug into his robes, shifting through it before pulling out a black slate, bound in leather. "Well, if his fate is to meet with Devils...I suppose I can change it just this once." A chuckle escaped his old throat, eyes curious about what was to come. "I can't help but wonder who the boy calls on first. If I were a betting man..."

* * *

In Issei's dreams, he thought naught of erotic sights as he believed. Instead, he dreamed of a single space. A platform with stained glass below him, depicting a stylized sigil resembling the snarling head of a dragon. Pristine white steps, which hovered in the air, spread out towards somewhere unseen - far away from his field of vision.

"What?" Issei questioned, confused as he looked around. "Where is this?"

This was weird. It was like he was in some sort of pocket dimension like in anime. As a matter of fact, this one reminded him of the Kingdom Hearts series with a person's Heart. But somehow...it was really different. He looked around and saw no other pathway aside from the steps.

"So weird...wait, why am I even dreaming of something like this?" Issei frowned and folded his arms. "Ugh, and after all the crap I went through with Kaichou..."

A cool, gentle breeze danced past him. From behind, a white shape danced past him. "Eh?" Blinking, his eyes trailed on the shape as it danced around. It was hard to tell what it looked like. At first, it looked like a bird of some kind. Then, as he looked more closely, it resembled some kind of wolf. However, the brightness of the light that cloaked it made it hard to determine what he was seeing. "What is that thing?" The shape craned what might have been its head, looking at him before taking high into the air, heading in the same direction the steps lead to. "Is it...asking me to follow?"

With nothing better to do, and wanting to get this dream done and over with, Issei followed. The platform beneath his feet let out soft cracks. Bits and pieces of the surface broke apart, dissolving into light while leaving behind the shape of his footprints. However, they soon expanded and began to break away the rest of the platform's surface - wiping away the image.

The brunette didn't notice it, however. He continued to walk forward, soft echoes dancing in the air each time his foot fell gently on the steps. As he made his way up to wherever it led him, he found faint, glowing streams flowing around him. Some were blue, others were red. The rest were of different colors: purple, green, violet, aqua, cyan, orange, white, burgundy...it was an endless spectrum.

"So weird..." Issei mumbled to himself. "Am I seriously that tired to dream up something like this?"

Despite his questioning, he did not dislike the view he was seeing. Rather, it was quite mesmerizing and brought a sense of peace to him. Before he realized it, he already made it to the top of the steps. Another platform spread out before him. Like the previous platform, it depicted an image. More specifically, it showed nine individuals, each held by what appeared to be some kind of card.

The first showed a warrior clad in armor, sword in hand.

The second showed a woman in a red skirt, a hand knocking back an arrow ready to be set free.

The third showed a man wearing a wide-brim hat with a feather, a spear at his side.

The fourth showed an armored man, pulling the reigns to the chariot he rode upon.

The fifth showed an old hermit, garbed in robes with a book in one hand, and a staff in the other.

The sixth showed a pale-skimmed man wearing a skull for a mask, wielding a sharp dagger.

The seventh showed a mad creature of some sort, wielding a giant sword.

The eighth showed a figure bound in chains with a piercing eye glaring out beneath their long hair.

The ninth showed a beautiful holy maiden with long hair, carrying both a sword and a scale.

In the very center of this platform stood a gate. It held no single color - instead, it constantly shifted between different colors. It was as if the door itself was made of color, yet never remaining the same for long. The gate stood as large as Kuoh Academy itself in terms of height, yet remaining as narrow as a standard double-door. Standing guard on either side of the gate were sentinels of sorts - each bearing a resemblance to the individuals depicted in the cards on the platform.

The saber held a hand against the frame of the door while the hand wielding it sword was sheathed in the ground. The lancer stood behind him, leaning against it with the spear against his shoulder and arms folded. The archer sat atop the gate, one knee at her chest with her bow at her back. The caster faced the gate's frame while his hood obscured his face. The berserker's head rested against it, towering over the robed magician. The assassin sat together with the archer, cradling his knife in his palm. The rider, like the saber, kneeled before the gate with a palm against its frame.

On the gate's doors were the last two - the avenger carved on the left door, bound to the frame while their hand touched together with that of the ruler's own, who smiled kindly while weighing her scales.

"...whoa..." It was the only thing that could escape Issei's mouth as he took in the grand sight before him. He had no idea what he was dreaming...but for some reason...he wanted to engrave this into his memory.

"Dunno how I dreamed this up...but damn is it awesome." He then found the white shape, which sat in front of the gate. "Hey, you. Uh...white thing. Did you bring me here to see this?"

The shape gave no sound. It merely tilted what he assumed was its head. He swore he saw what might have been a "smile" beneath the light covering it before it faded away into motes of white light, dissipating and leaving him where he stood. Issei was thoroughly confused, but as it was a dream, perhaps it was fine.

Even still...the gate was so strange. It could have been his imagination, but he felt something about it calling to him. Gulping down a nervous lump, he stepped forward. Slowly, his hand touched its doors.

Then, suddenly, he felt it.

 ***babump***

 ***babump***

 _'Are these...heartbeats?'_ he wondered, recognizing the sounds echoing in his ears. He closed his eyes, hearing the same sounds play over and over again like drum beats. Each pulsing beat was different than the last, which created an even grander symphony. _'So weird...are they all from inside?'_

Leaning in, he pressed his ear against the gate to find an answer. A moment later, he did. The sounds of the heart beats became even louder than they were previously, meaning they originated past these doors.

Of course, that brought about a question:

How could he be hearing so many heartbeats from those inside it? Just as he was about to open the door, a voice echoed in the air.

 _"Silver and gemstone line the path. They forge the circle of the pact - calling to spirits of myth and legend to partake in the communion of battle."_

Stepping back in shock, Issei looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Hello?" he called. "Is anyone there?!"

 _"Desires, ideals, ambitions...they become the core of the chant. The heroes of yore answer the call, vacating their thrones."_

"H-hey... Who are you?!"

 _"Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. The filling of thy cup continues until it breaks. The cycle repeats until power is made manifest."_

Issei was starting to grow more and more unnerved. "O-okay, me...you can wake up anytime now!" he begged his real self, fast asleep on the couch in the living room. "Seriously! This dream is starting to turn bad!"

 _"Warriors of the sword, bow, and lance. Heroes of the chariot, tome and dagger. Legends of vengeance, madness and forgiveness. Together, they swirl at the center. O soul who weaves together the arcane - holder of all that creates and destroys...answer."_

Suddenly, Issei's chest tightened. His heart rammed against his chest. His lungs strained for oxygen. His body felt as if it were on fire.

 _"Wh...i...t...u...eek...obt...w...h...e...w...o...eg...s?"_

The pain increased tenfold. He reared his head back, opening his mouth to scream.

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"...aaah!"

Sweat pouring down his face, Issei bolted upright from the couch, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The blanket that covered his body fell to his lap unnoticed. His lungs gulped for air while he grasped his chest, heart racing. Slowly, he looked around. He was still in the living room. The lights were out, and his parents were nowhere to be found. Outside the window, the moon hung in its crescent shape with its light pouring in the window.

He ran a hand over his face. Just what kind of dream was that? It was fricking crazy...

"Note to self..." he muttered. "Lay off the peeping for a while. Turns out Kaichou's bad for my health." Despite saying that, he found that his hands were shaking. His body was unbearably warm. Shaking his head, Issei noticed the blanket on his lap. He smiled slightly. "Thanks, kaa-chan..."

Just as he was about to pull off the blanket and head back to his room, hoping he'd be able to sleep better there due to the cricks in his back and neck - he paused when he found something on the table. It was a rectangular, black metal container with a golden insignia - the same one from his dream.

"...the hell?" Issei frowned. Was that why he saw the dream? Well, then again, he's thought of weirder things, some of which better left unsaid, but even still, he doubted this was what caused him to dream up something so weird. Weird, though. He's never seen it before. He picked up the container, noting how cold it felt before he found a small section at the top that was detachable.

Curious, he popped it open. Much to his surprise, inside the container was a deck of cards.

Gingerly, he removed them from the box and went through them, seeing there were nine in total. When he flipped them over to examine them, he nearly dropped the cards after seeing what was on the front.

On each card...were the figures he had seen guarding the gate in his dreams.

 _"Saber."_

 _"Lancer."_

 _"Archer."_

 _"Rider."_

 _"Caster."_

 _"Assassin."_

 _"Berserker."_

 _"Avenger."_

 _"Ruler."_

Just...how was this possible? He just had that dream. So why are there cards representing each of the nine figures in his hands?! "...I DEFINITELY need to lay off the peeping if detention with Kaichou does this to me."

* * *

If the drowsiness in the morning was of any indication, Issei knew early classes were going to be a bitch.

"Dude, what's up with you?" Matsuda asked as he and Motohama walked together with the brunette. "You look dead to the world."

"Just didn't sleep well last night..." Issei yawned. "...had this weird, Kingdom Hearts type dream or something..."

"Gaming all night?" Motohama asked.

The brunette sighed. "I wish..."

It was more along the lines of conking out on the couch expecting visions of bare female bodies. Instead, he got a bizarre dream and a headache. He did his best to try and forget what happened. It was just a dream, so it didn't really mean anything. That said, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget about the gate. It was forever burned in his mind. Groaning the brunette shook his head, cracking his neck as he rolled it in a manner that rid him of the cricks in his bones.

"Still, what a drag..." Motohama sighed in despair. "Shitori-kaichou's watching us like a hawk. Now we gotta serve detention?!"

"Could be worse." Matsuda remarked. "We could've been expelled. I guess we should be thankful we're getting off so lightly." A perverted chuckle escaped the bald runner, giggling somewhat as he looked at his comrades and fellow perverts. "By the way, speaking about Shitori-senpai...on a scale from one to ten, where do you think she ranks?"

"Ten." both boys answered simultaneously. Instantly, Issei's mood improved. "A definite ten. She definitely gives off that S&M feel, you know?"

Issei nodded strongly. "Oooh yeah." A lecherous grin then came to mind, envisioning Sona herself in revealing leather, whip in hand while her boot pressed against a rather obvious tent in the pants of an un(fortunate) bastard. "You know, maybe the reason she's so grouchy is because she's sexually frustrated. Think that might be it?"

"Could be." Motohama snapped his fingers. "Aah...normally I'd prefer being the dominant one, but I'd willingly let Shitori-kaichou be on top of me~"

Together, the Perverted Trio sighed, the sight well engraved in their minds. Already, the day was looking up for them with such lecherous thoughts and dreams!

"AAAAAH! IT'S KIBA-SAMA!"

"HE'S SO HANDSOME!"

"PLEASE MARRY ME, KIBA-KUN!"

...aaand now the perfect atmosphere was gone.

They snapped out of their musings as the screams of fangirls cut through the air. The source of their newfound ire, a blonde, teenage pretty boy that was nearby. Like the rest of the males, he wore a black blazer with white trims and formal black pants. Along with the fact that the blazer was closed up with a black tie around his neck, and he looked like the picture perfect bishounen.

The Prince of Kuoh Academy: Yuuto Kiba.

Their number one enemy.

"Geh, it's him." Matsuda growled. "What the hell does that blonde bastard have that we don't?!"

"Good looks, good grades, a good personality, shall I continue?" Came a mischievous, yet familiar female voice. The Trio turned around to the source, finding a girl from their class in their sights. She had a slender yet busty figure with a light complexion. Her brown hair reached her upper back, and was tied into twin braids with blue ribbons. Her hazel eyes were hidden behind a pair of pink, circled rimmed glasses. On her face was a smirk.

"Oh, and of course, a bigger size than you."

Immediately, upon seeing her, the Trio recoiled. "YOU!" Motohama cried, holding his fingers in a cross formation. "BEGONE, DEMON!"

"What do you want, Kiryuu?!" Matsuda shuddered. "Shouldn't you be ogling some other dude's junk?!"

Aika Kiryuu giggled as she put a hand to her hip. "I've already scouted a good number of the males here. There's not very many boys here at Kuoh." She pushed up her glasses, staring at the boys with a grin. "I see my favorite group of fellow lechers is doing fine today, despite Katase and Murayama beating you all to kingdom come."

"Well, we take pride in our resilience...besides, were used to the pain by now." Issei shrugged. The pain in his left side had faded quite a bit. Now, he only felt a minor discomfort.

"So I see." Aika smirked before sizing him up. Issei shuddered beneath her gaze, knowing full well what she was doing. "By the way...I must say, Hyoudou, you're rather gifted in some areas, aren't you?"

"Wh-what?!" Issei instinctively moved his hands to hide his crotch from her view. She was scanning him?! "Dammit all, you she-demon! Quit perving on me!"

"Oh my, how cute~" the female pervert giggled. "You enjoy peeking on others, but you're flustered when someone pervs on you~ Still, I must say, I'm surprised by what I found. A shame you'll probably never put it to good use, though."

 **[CRITICAL HIT!]**

The words stabbed into him like a knife and caused him to buckle in proverbial pain. "Low blow, Aika." Issei mumbled in pain. "Low blow."

"Just saying it like it is." She stuck her tongue out playfully. "Also, better hurry. I hear Shitori-senpai is on the warpath today."

Aika gave one last wink at the boys, which caused them to freeze. They craned their heads, finding the woman herself not far away, standing just a bit away from the main entrance of the school building. As soon as they made eye contact, a cold shiver ran down their spines while the feeling of cold steel touched upon their necks. Promptly, the boys ran like bats out of hell, making their way to class as fast as possible. They've already reached Sona's tolerance limit, and they most certainly didn't want to see how bad she was when majorly pissed off.

That said...was it Issei's imagination, or did Sona and that blonde bastard Kiba have bat wings?

* * *

School had more or less ended on a somewhat positive note, though Issei wasn't feeling so well. Ever since first period, his body was uncomfortably warm. Enough so that he discarded his tie and undid a few buttons to his dress shirt. Worse, his head had been hurting the entire day. Sona, bless her soul, took pity on him and decided to allow him to go home early on account of a migraine. Of course, she also warned him that, come tomorrow when he felt better, he'd have double the work load.

On his way back, his mind went back to his parents' conversation from last night, regarding girlfriends and such. In truth, Issei wasn't entirely sure if he was even looking for one right now. There were many cute girls at Kuoh, especially the likes of Akeno Himejima and Rias Gremory, but his chances were more or less screwed, due to his perverse behavior. There was Aika Kiryuu, though it would be a could day in hell before he even considered it. In fact, Issei pitied whoever tried and date that devilish minx.

And they call him a pervert!

 _'Now that I think about it...what is my kind of girl, anyway?'_ Issei wondered as he folded his arms, dipping his head in thought. ' _She'd have to have killer oppai, of course. And a really, really sweet personality. DEFINITELY not a bitch, though. And she would have to be honest with me. And she'd be willing to help me with whatever I need.'_ A brief pause, then a heavy blush on his face. _'B-but definitely not sexual help! W-well, I mean, if she wants to, but if she's the kind of girl who'd only want to do stuff like that on certain occasions, then that would be okay! Oh, and she definitely have to be housewife material!' At this, the image of his ideal girl in naked apron came to mind, causing his nose to bleed. 'Hot damn that would be awesome...!'_

Strange, though...one would think Issei's thoughts would be severely more perverse, but it seems even the brunette was capable of some modesty.

He continued to think about the topic, even as he reached the small bridge that passed over the street below. Afterwards, there would be a small strip of street that would lead to the residential district. His house was there, where his family would be waiting for them. Now that he thought about his family, he wondered if they would actually try and put him up on a blind date...not that he'd want to. He wanted to find his own girl, not have her handed to him!

He sighed in frustration. His parents were only looking out for him. And given his perverted behavior, it'd only be natural for them to worry about him. Even still... why did they constantly have to believe that they would not have any grandchildren?! Wasn't that thinking ahead of themselves?!

"Um... e-excuse me...?"

"Huh?" Issei stopped walking, noticing the person before him.

It was a girl, and a drop dead knockout at that. It was a girl around his own age, bearing long black hair and violet eyes, wearing a dark red jacket with the letter "P" embroidered in gold, a white undershirt, a red bow, and a green skirt with a thin white strip around the lower end of it. She held an umbrella in her hands, which was being bounced around between her palms nervously.

"A-are you...?" the girl spoke nervously. Issei had to admit, she was cute...and her bust...! That voice! Haaaaa...! This was the kind of girl he was looking for! "I-Issei Hyoudou-kun?"

'I don't recognize the uniform, so she doesn't go to our school. Who is she?' the brunette thought, but shrugged. "Yep, the one and only."

"Ah! Thank Goodness!" The girl sighed in relief. She fidgeted slightly as her face reddened.

"So...what's up?" he asked curiously. "Do you need something?"

"Ah, um...my name is...Y-Yuuma." she introduced herself, bowing her head. "Y-Yuuma Amano."

"Nice to meet you." Issei nodded, not sure where this was going.

"S-so, um...c-can I...ask you something p-personal?"

He raised an eyebrow. Why was she fidgeting so much? And why was her face so red? Was she embarrassed about something?

...waaaaaaaaait a minute here! Those flushed cheeks... That flustered voice... Those bashful voice... It-it couldn't be... could it?!

"A-are you... seeing anyone?"

IT IS!

She...she...this cute girl was asking him out!

"N-no!" he shouted, a bit too loudly for his own liking, a result of his excitement. Yuuma recoiled, causing him to wince as a result, and scratched the back of his head. This was it! This was his chance! A real chance to get a girlfriend! A chance for OPPAI! "I-I mean, no... I'm not really in a relationship with anyone. Why...do you ask?"

"W-well...I...I was wondering...Would...Would you go out with me?" She bowed.

Instantly, Issei smiled brightly. Finally! Finally!

 _'Life is looking good!'_

* * *

Yuuma and Issei had decided that they would officially go on a date on Sunday. It worked for the brunette, since he didn't have school that day. Naturally, though, he showed his new girl off to Motohama and Matsuda, easily earning shocked and disbelieving looks on their faces. He considered it payback for all those times they left him to dry.

Still, he felt kind of bad, using Yuuma for petty revenge like that. Today, though, he was going to make it up to her!

"Oh, man I'm nervous," Issei muttered as he paced around his room. "What do you even do on a date? Should we go to an amusement park? No, Kuoh's went out of business two months ago. Maybe a cafe? Nah, that sounds lame. Oh! Maybe eat out at a restaurant? Wait, what if she hates fast food!" He growled in frustration, gripping his hair. "Dammiiiiiiit! I haven't played enough eroge games to prepare me for this!"

He probably should've focused more on the dating sim aspect of his eroge games rather than focusing on the h-scenes.

"Okay, Ise, just calm down," he told himself. "Calm down...you got this. Everything is gonna be fine...gonna be fine!" He gave a swift sigh, and then looked at his attire. He stared at what he was wearing before his shoulders dropped again. "Oh, who am I kidding?! I don't have any good clothes!"

He tried to find the best attire he had in his closet, but he still didn't think it was good enough. He just knew this was going to be a horrible date. Why didn't he play enough dating games that could have helped him with this? He thought he had dressed up in the nicest clothes he could find, but when he looked at himself in the mirror, he was beginning to doubt whether or not these clothes would fit him. He wore a light jacket over a red shirt with a small black v-neck and khaki slacks that used to belong to his father, along with black dress shoes.

When he got a good look in the mirror...he realized that these fancy, formal clothes did not really suit him. But he had no time to ponder it for now. He had to continue get ready for his big date!

Sucking in a large breath, he huffed his chest and steeled his nerves. He was about to leave the room before his eyes settled on the steel container on his desk. The one carrying that bizarre deck. He wasn't sure why, but he felt...compelled to take it with him for some reason.

Now that he thought about it, the day it showed up in his possession was the same day he met Yuuma. Maybe it was some kind of good luck charm? Feeling that he needed all the luck he could get for this date, he didn't hesitate in picking it up and placing it in his pocket.

"Issei!" his father called. "If you don't hurry, you're going to be late!"

"R-right!" Issei shouted back. He doubled check to see if he had everything, then gave himself another once over, and nodded. "Okay...work with what I've got! Here I come, oppai!" With a strong nod, he whirled around, and left his room.

Unaware of the fate that would soon await him today.

* * *

Many were not aware of this fact, but the foreign red-haired beauty that was Rias Gremory was not human.

In fact, none of the members of her club, the Occult Research Club, were humans either. They were all Devils.

If you believed the bible, they were inhuman beasts who tempted humans to sin. They were partially right - they did tempt humans to sin, but they rarely asked for souls. They offered Faustian contracts to people, in exchange for monetary wealth or items. They were hardly the demons that many, especially the Vatican church, made them out to be. If anything, a good majority of Devilkind were very pleasant. Especially those of the Pillar of Gremory. Among the 72 clans, they were widely known for their loving and caring nature - especially for their servants.

Rias was no exception. She loved and cared for her Servants. In fact, she enrolled them in Kuoh Academy in the hopes of living out something akin to as close to a normal life as they could get. They deserved it, after all the hardships they went through.

However...being kind-hearted does not make her soft. When required, Rias would be as fierce and as demonic as was expected of a Devil. Alongside Sona Shitori, otherwise known as Sona Sitri, heir to the Pillar of Sitri, they controlled the majority of Kuoh City. The entire rural countryside was their territory, and they were expected to manage.

Some odd weeks ago, they received reports of Fallen Angels taking up residence in the old abandoned church on the outskirts of town. Since they were in the midst of a ceasefire, hostilities were meant to be taken as seriously as possible while also treading very carefully. A small misstep could lead to a war. No one wanted that, especially not her or her family. As such, she and Sona had their servants keep a close eye on the group, trying to discern their intentions.

Imagine her surprise, merely a few days ago, when she learned from Koneko that one of the Fallen in her territory had approached someone that Sona had been curious about for quite a while now:

Issei Hyoudou.

Upon hearing this, she became curious herself. Why had the Fallen approached Hyoudou as they did? She didn't detect anything unordinary about him. He didn't even seem to have a Sacred Gear. So why?

Just in case, she had Koneko keep a close eye on the pair. Regardless of how or why, Issei Hyoudou was being targeted by the Fallen. Failure to protect him meant that she was unfit to protect her own territory. She would not allow that to happen. Besides, she found the boy to be something of an amusement.

It was hardly normal to encounter someone who was so engrossed in their lust, especially so openly.

"Kiba." Rias called from her seat, moving the Rook piece adjacent to her Pawn. It blocked the advance the opposing King, though close by was the Knight, ready to open a hole. "Is Koneko following them?"

The blonde teen nodded. "Hai, buchou." he reported. "So far, the date is going rather normally."

Rias nodded, thanking him for the report. Even so, she was still troubled. She still had no idea why the Fallen were targeting someone so...normal. Well, as normal as one could be.

"Why target Hyoudou-kun?" Rias hummed to herself, a finger drumming against the chessboard. "What's the reason...?"

* * *

The date had ended rather well on a high-note, all things considered. He managed to put together a plan at the last moment. He took her out to lunch, then shopping, then a movie. She looked like she enjoyed it...at least, he think he did. She pretty much had a smile on her face throughout the whole thing. Right now, they were standing in front of the fountain over at the park.

It was a pretty romantic scene one would see in visual novels, especially with the sun setting over the horizon.

"I had a lot of fun today," Yuuma said, her back facing him. "It's been so long since I've felt like this."

"R-Really? That's awesome. I'm really glad..." He breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god for that!

"Say...Ise-kun?" Slowly, the girl turned around to face him. Her face was bashful, pink dusted on her cheeks. "There's something that I really, really want...do you think you can give it to me?"

The brunette swallowed the lump in his throat. Was this it? Was this really happening?! Were...were they really going to...? If that were the case, why...why did he feel suddenly so alarmed? His headache was growing worse by the second. His heart was starting to thump against his chest, beating on his ribcage like a drum. "U-uh, sure!" he nodded, trying to ignore the feeling. "Whatever it is, you name it!"

"Really?" Yuuma's eyes lit up with excitement. Somehow, it felt off. "Then..." She stepped forward. Their bodies felt like they were about to touch, though she had stopped just in front of him and leaned forward, whispering something into his ear. Something that made his blood run cold. "...will you _die for me_?"

Now, he understood why. How his body reacted so badly. Yuuma's voice...it had changed. No longer was it that sweet and beautiful tone that made it sound like music to his ears. It was cold, mature...malicious. A tone that sent shivers down his back.

"I-I'm sorry," he said, backing away as far as he could. "I don't I-I heard you correctly...w-what did you say you wanted, Yuuma-chan?"

The girl gave him a sickly sweet smile. "I said," she spoke, her voice chilling and mature with an alluring, dangerous tone. "Will you die for me?"

His body burned up. Something about her words lit something aflame in his chest. His head pulsated with agonizing pain. Through this pain came a foreign feeling, swelling and bubbling up to the surface. He wasn't sure why, but he threw himself to the ground. He was glad he had, for no sooner had he moved did a spear of light pierce into the ground he was standing on. His eyes went wide, heart thumping, and looked at Yuuma.

He gasped. Behind her back were wings. Feathery, black wings. Almost like the wings of a crow.

"Oh?" She raised a brow. "You were fast enough to dodge that one. How unexpected." She frowned condescendingly.

He stared back in horror. He had no idea what was happening. He couldn't even feel the way his hand was burning. "W-what the hell's going on?" he whispered. "Yuuma-chan, wha-what the fuck ARE you?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" She questioned as she materialized another spear in her hand. "I am the one who kills you."

"You know...I have to say, the date was a bit of fun." Yuuma remarked off-handedly, speaking of the event as if it were little more than just a bit of fun she had on the side. "It was a lot like pretend. You did keep me amused. Still, even now I don't get what's so special about you." Her eyes narrowed as she twirled her spear around in her hand, looking down on him with disdain. "You don't have any magic power from what I can tell. And you don't even have a Sacred Gear. Why does a filthy human like you interest Azazel-sama so much?"

The brunette couldn't find anything to say. He was too shocked, too overwhelmed. His heart was racing. His body was growing hotter. The pain in his head was growing worse. As he tried to stand, he felt his head rattle. Biting his lip, he fell to his knee, a hand at his temple. His skull was throbbing. It felt like it was going to split open.

"Humans like you are so disgusting." the winged woman said, voice laced heavily with disgust. "You think you're better than everyone else. You're nothing but lowly vermin, better off groveling on the ground we walk upon." She stopped twirling the spear in her hand around, grasping it tightly in her hand. "Now then...let's finish this farce, shall we?"

 _'S-somebody...'_ Issei thought in despair, looking on in horror. His eyes locked onto the spear as Yuuma reared her arm back, readying to throw it. _'A-anybody...please...!'_

Yuumna's face curled into a sickening, cold smile. "Now then...die for me, Ise-kun!"

She threw the spear, hurling it straight at his heart.

 _'HELP ME!'_

Then his mind went blank.

* * *

No sooner had 'Yuuma Amano' revealed her true nature did Koneko Toujou begin to feel the power that was charging in the air. The power that was a Fallen Angel. She could feel the Holy energy the woman exuded. The situation had changed. She needed to inform Rias right away. She immediately summoned her familiar, a small white kitten, and instructed him to inform her master of the current situation.

It wasted no time heading to Rias. While the woman gave a special speech, showing off her arrogance, Koneko readied her fists. Rias ordered her that, if the Fallen held malicious intent towards Issei Hyoudou, she was to engage the Fallen and defeat her. Attacking a human in her territory was declaring war. Therefore, they would be able to act without threatening the ceasefire.

She tugged at her gloves, standing up. The Fallen reared back her spear, ready to end Issei Hyoudou's life. She personally didn't like the pervert whatsoever, but she didn't hate him enough to let him die, either.

However, just as she was about to leap into the fold and protect Issei, something strange happened. Magic seeped into the air, flooding the area with such intensity. The Fallen couldn't feel it. Not at first, anyway. Koneko, however, did. Due to her...circumstances...she was far more sensitive to the flow of magic more than anyone. And the power that began to flood the area was so great that she nearly fell to her knees.

"Wha-what..." she got out, barely finding any strength to stand. "What is this? Where did this magic power come from?"

Sadly, because she was affected by the overflowing power of magic seeping into the air, she couldn't move in time to see the Fallen throwing her spear at Issei, meant to end his life once and for all.

Then the unthinkable happened.

* * *

 ** _"-she'd DEFINITELY have to be housewife material-!"_**

 ** _"-killer oppai-"_**

 ** _"-really, really sweet personality-"_**

Within the confines of a certain boy's soul, a beautiful gate slowly began to creak open. Light flooded out of it. Emerging from within were beautiful streams of light, dancing around and flying high into the air. Together with the streams of light were cherry blossoms and earthen tendrils of wood and greenery, encroaching everything outside of the opening gates.

The statue of the robed hermit showed small signs of damage - cracks running along its form. As it did, a figure stepped out from within the gate; form obscured by the shining light behind them.

 _ **"-a-anybody...help me!"**_

The figure smiled, looking up. Then the platform beneath them shattered apart, encompassing everything in a ball of white light before shooting upwards. It rose, higher and higher, breaking through the darkness and rushing to the surface. Life was pumping through the figure's veins. Power was swelling. They could feel things they shouldn't be feeling. A rush of emotions danced in their developing heart.

Someone had called out to them. Someone who wanted a person like them at their side. They knew not why they called for them, but they answered the call nonetheless.

Then the ball of light broke through the barrier between them and their summoner. The ball of light dispersed, and the figure leaped out, a wide grin on their face.

* * *

Power.

Pure, unadulerated power.

That was what registered in Raynare's mind as, without any warning, her spear of light broke apart as a powerful wave of magical power exploded from Issei's very being, nearly sending her off of her feet. "What?!" she cried out in shock, standing her ground while her arms crossed her face, blocking out the rushing wind that blew around her target. "What's going on?! Where did this power come from?!"

Peering through her arms, she saw Issei's body changing. Ephemeral circuits ran across his body as he stood to his feet, eyes wide and hair flopping about with his blazer. The circuits delved into his eyes, breaking through the sclera and entering his irises before invading his pupils, diving deep into them. Something shot out of his pocket - a metal vessel with golden markings resembling a dragon of some sort. It broke apart into segments, the front and back of the vessel hovering over the back of the boy's hand and palm while its sides floated next to his thumb and pinky finger. A golden band of light wrapped around his wrist.

Cards danced around his form, spinning like a roullete. Like a puppet, obeying the will of the meister, Issei's hand rose forward to the spinning cards. While the cards continued to spin around him in a ring, one card rose up from the ring and spun around in front of his hand. It showed a robed man, wielding a staff and tome.

The golden markings on the pieces of the vessel began to glow in tandem with the band around his wrist. The circuits on his arm then began to extend outward, forming into branches that touched the card, which began to glow with light.

Even greater magical power began to flood the area. Raynare's eyes widened, realizing what he was trying to do. "Is he...trying to summon something?!" But that should be impossible! There wasn't any records of him having any magical prowess! Then a thought passed her mind, one that filled her with indignation. Was he...hiding his magical powers? Was he MOCKING her?! "Y-you...you damned human!"

She mustered great holy power in her hand. Her spear radiated with even more power than before. With a furious zeal burning in her heart, she threw the spear forward.

 _ **"DIE!"**_

The projectile flew as the card glowed even brighter. It was just about to skewer Issei in a matter of seconds.

But something intercepted and stopped it. The Fallen's eyes widened upon seeing what stopped her attack.

An ornate, Japanese mirror.

Then the pillar of light dispersed, revealing the being that was summoned forth. It was a voluptuous young woman with long pink hair tied up. Her eyes were closed, her expression calm and serene. She was garbed in a rather skimpy, blue kimono that revealed her large bust, shoulders, and legs with blue stockings that stopped halfway up her thigh. Around her neck was a black choker with gold trim. But the most prominent features she had were the pair of fox ears on her head and fox tail protruding from her back.

As the incredible wave of magical power faded away, dissipaing into nothing, the newcomer opened her eyes, revealing chocolate brown irises. Her face fell into what looked to be annoyance.

"My word, how rude~" the fox girl huffed as the light she emerged from broke apart. The cards spinning around her target slid back into the embrace of the vessel, which reformed into its container-like form before clattering to the ground. "Someone went through the trouble of bringing me into this world, and the first greeting I get is a spear to the face?"

The circuits on Issei's body faded from existence. His strings were cut, and he fell forward. However, the fox girl whirled around and grabbed him before he could fall. "Oh dear," the newcomer gasped. "He must have tuckered himself out from summoning me." Carefully, she lifted him up, carrying him like a groom would with his bride. As soon as she saw his sleeping face, a heavy blush formed on her cheeks and gushed like a giddy school girl. "Oh. My. Kami. He's so ADORABLE~ I must be the luckiest girl, having someone like this for a husband!"

"W-what the helll?" Raynare stammered. Despite her eccentric and foolhardy behavior...the power she extruded was beyond anything she's ever felt. She was obviously a youkai, but her power...it was on par with...a god?! No-no! That was impossible! "Who the hell are you?!"

The fox girl blinked. "Oh...right." she said, a look of irritation forming on her face. "I forgot about you. The hag who tried to turn my darling husband into a pin cushion."

"HAG?!" Raynare snapped angrily, her previous fear forgotten. Sure she had been alive for quite a while...but she looked nowhere near old! She looked as young as any teenage girl!

"You heard me." The woman huffed. "Or would you prefer I call you a filthy crow?"

"How dare you?!" The Fallen Angel snapped angrily. That tears it. Forget the human, this bitch dies! "Die, you filthy youkai!"

Brandishing twin spears, she gathered incredible holy power into each and threw them. Scoffing, the fox girl bounced high into the air, evading the spears with ease and allowing them to obliterate the ground. She landed atop the fountain's spout, freezing the rushing water below her.

"I see you're in dire need of manners, it seems." the newcomer said with displeasure, holding the unconscious brunette close in her arms. "By the way, I am not a 'filthy youkai.' Then again, I doubt a hag like you would recognize me. After all, if the current state of the world is of any indication, its been quite a long time."

Power charged in the air. Magic flowed out of the fox girl's body like a waterfall. Talismans danced around her, each bearing the kanji for "fire" and "water" respectively.

"I am Tamamo-no-Mae, formerly a Heroic Spirit, belonging to the Caster-class Servants." the woman introduced herself. Upon hearing the woman's name, Raynare's heart sank and shriveled beneath the intense glare the woman gave her. "And you had the nerve to try and kill my husband."

At this moment, the Fallen Angel realized...

"Prepare to die, bitch."

...she was screwed.

* * *

-Night 1: END-

* * *

Next Time!

Raynare: Do I look like I'm joking?! I am missing a fucking wing, Dohnaseek! A _fucking wing_! _AND IT WAS THE AVATAR OF AMATERASU WHO DID IT!_

Tamamo: You won't need trash like this anymore, my dear husband! After all, you have little ol' me to serve your needs!

Issei: If this is a dream, then don't wake me up!

Rias: What is it you intend to do here, Tamamo-sama?

 **Night 2: Husband and Wife**

Tamamo: Things are about to get steamy~! Stay tuned, everyone!

* * *

Author's Notes: Welp, here it is: Dragon of the Seventh Heaven, per the request of the people in the poll I set up. Many of you are pissed, probably, because I have enough stories on my plate as is. Hell, this makes the 82nd story I have written. I will say this much, though: if I hit the 100 story mark...don't expect me to write out a new story until many of my other stories are completed. I am seriously setting myself a limit here.

So, then...who here thinks Issei's chance of getting a harem in this story is screwed because he got Tamamo?

On a side note, I would actually like someone to answer me a question: since I'm going for Issei reviving Heroic Spirits in the world of DxD, and since I'm not as well-versed in the mythos and power levels (the latter I know I can handle - pretty much every Servant in Fate/stay night can wreck virtually every being in DxD...except maybe Trihexa, Great Red and possibly Shiva. At that point, bust in with the Noble Phantasms on their asses) as some think I am. Thus, I need a question answered: since they've been revived, would a Heroic Spirit be as powerful as they would be as a Servant? Weaker? Stronger? Help would be much appreciated.

With that said, I'm out of here. Enjoy the story, as it was done by the collaborative efforts of yours truly and Daemon of Wrath. Please tell me your thoughts in your reviews, and hopefully I'll see you mofos next chapter.

PS: Tamamo wasn't kidding about things getting steamy. This story is M rated for a reason. That being said, don't expect lemons so early. Have to build up the romance, you know.


	2. Night 2

_That was how everything started for me. Pretty shitty first date, huh? I finally score a hot girlfriend, and she tries to kill me on our first date.  
_

 _But...in a way, that's where it all began. How I got involved in things that, at first, I couldn't really believe._

 _The only thing I really understood back then was...my normal life was over._

 _There wasn't going any back. From the moment I discovered this power of mine, my Fate was decided for me._

 _And it all started here: with that beautiful woman who saved me._

 _Let me start from the beginning. My name is Issei Hyoudou. I'm 17-years-old, and attend Kuoh Private Academy._

 _And, well, in spite of the fact that I'm just about as average as your everyday pervert who dreams of having a harem..._

 _...I'm not normal._

* * *

 **High School DxD x Fate/stay night Crossover:**

 **"Fate/stay night: The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven"**

* * *

 ** _Night 2: Husband and Wife  
_**

 _Tamamo-no-Mae._

There was not a deity alive, be them of the Biblical Faction or of another race, who did not know that name.

In the days of the Heian Era, she was known to be the downfall of the Shang Dynasty. Before that, she was the courtesan and wife of Emperor Toba. A kitsune of unrivaled power - a practitioner of the spiritual arts, without equal - and also an incarnation of the Shinto Deity: Amaterasu the Sun Goddess. Sister to Tsukuyomi, God of the Moon and Susano'O, God of the Storm.

According to the stories shared, Tamamo-no-Mae was one of the many courtesan's that had caught Toba's fancy. One might even dare say it was truest love, if the reports and documents were to be believed. Had Abe-no-Seimei not come and investigate what bizarre illness befell the Emperor, she would have become Empress. There was no use for "what-ifs," however. The Onmyouji had seen her for what she was, and persecuted her.

Countless men took up arms. Commoners, soldiers and sorcerers fought against her. In the end, many a blood was spilled before she was felled. However, though she was seen as a powerful enemy, a monument had been built to pacify her soul. Some say that Toba had built it, still believing in their love. This monument would soon become known as a curse, for the lingering resentment for the ones who dared to cut her down lingered and released a horrific poison that killed any who dare approach, be them man, spirit or animal.

A powerful Onmyouji had pacified the raging spirit of Tamamo-no-Ma, and the cursed monument; the Killing Stone, was shattered. If the reports were true, some would claim that the spirit that was a emissary of the Shinto Sun Goddess returned to its origin, becoming whole with the entity once again. Of course, no one knows for certain, except for perhaps the Shinto followers themselves.

Raynare, as one who believed that she was a superior being - far beyond those of normal humans and other races - couldn't have cared less. There was, in truth, a bit of admiration for the incarnation of Amaterasu, if only because of her feat in punishing the humans who dared raised their hands. They were cattle and sheep, meant to be lead and herded. Defying those above them was punishable by death.

And yet, even she could not deny the overwhelming power that radiated from the woman who stood before her. The one who proclaimed to be Tamamo-no-Mae, the incarnation of Amaterasu-no-Ookami herself. Raw, unadulerated and primal magic power had flooded the area like a tidal wave swallowing a city. It was thick and heavy, suffocating almost. If she were a lesser being, Raynare would have been forced down to the ground and kneeled.

 _'Impossible!'_ she thought, unable to believe the quivering her body was showing as she faced down the downright _murderous_ glare that the youkai holding her target was giving her. Such a horrific sight would have caused a lesser being to have a heartattack, then and there, just from the pressure such an intimidating gaze gave. _'How can I be shaking?!'_

In her heart, she knew the answer. The fox woman's words from earlier had painted a clear picture of her fate.

 _ **...you had the nerve to try and kill my husband.**_

The idea was ludicrous. The boy, a mere human, had summoned a youkai to his aid. A youkai who boasted incredible magical power. Why was there a need to refer to him in such a manner?

Of course, that thought was hardly of any concern to the Fallen Angel at this moment. What mattered to her right now, at this very second...

"Prepare to die, bitch."

...was getting the fuck out of here!

With a beat of her wings, Raynare attempted to flee. She was no fool. She stood no chance against her alone. Perhaps, with aid, she could-

Wait. Why was it so cold all of a sudden? And why was she falling?

A second went by. Then her mind registered that the right half of her body was frozen solid. Her wing included. As a result, she couldn't fly properly. Now she was sent hurling back to the Earth she despised. Snarling, she released a burst of holy power. The ice shattered with ease and managed to regain her balance. Just as she readjusted herself, floating in place, she took notice of the many talismans that danced around her.

"Dammit." she cursed, remembering how the fox woman had brandished such items earlier. "A bounded field?"

"Did you really think I'd let you escape that easily?" the youkai who proclaimed herself as Tamamo-no-Mae spoke. Her tone was icy, yet bore a regal tone befitting that of a powerful, noble being such as herself. The scathing look of superiority she demonstrated brought nothing but indignation and anger to Raynare. "Especially after you tried to turn me and my hubby into a pin cushion? I think not."

With a flick of her wrist, a third of the talismans burned apart. Seconds later, a source of magic power let out a discharge, feeling like intense, blistering heat. Flames danced and expanded until they became tiny spheres, resembling burning orbs of inferno.

Raynare immediately recognized the danger these orbs posed, and paled. "Shi-!"

The spheres shrunk...then exploded.

Half a second later, a large chunk of Kuoh Park had been reduced to smoldering ruin.

* * *

As soon as the wave of power made itself known, the hand holding the crimson red chess piece shook. "Wh-what in the world...?!" Rias gasped, her heart beating rapidly. The pawn in her hand fell from her grasp, clattering to the chess board with a _thunk_ and knocking over the King piece in the process, which proceeded to roll off the table and fall to the ground. "What is this?!"

Akeno's eyes widened as she rose to her feet, looking around wildly. Near the entrance to the room, Kiba's body tensed as he produced a European sword, radiating with dark power at its edge. He raced over to the window, peering out with narrowed eyes. As soon as he saw the towering pile of smoke rising in the distance, his eyes widened and whirled upon his Master. "Buchou!" he called in a panic. "There was an explosion over at Kuoh Park! It's no doubt where the one releasing this magic is!"

The heir to the Pillar of Gremory bit her lip, rising from her seat. Demonic power flared around her. An unbridled, destructive forced that beat in her breast demanded to be unsheathed, resonating with the anger that flowed. "Someone dared to pick a fight in _my_ territory?" she growled. "And in broad daylight, no less!"

"Rias." Akeno said to her King, voice deadly serious. "What are your orders?"

The red-haired Devil had no hesitation. This was not the Great Lady that many of the female body of this school admired. This was the Devil who earned this position through blood, sweat and tears. This was the King of their Peerage. "Have your familiar scout the area. I want to know who did this." she said before she turned to Kiba. "Yuuto. Go inform Sona of our unwanted guest. As soon as we have an idea of who had the balls to start a fight in the middle of my territory, with plenty of humans nearby, be prepared. This is probably going to be a difficult battle."

Her Knight bowed deeply. "Understood."

Without further ado, he ran out the room, slamming the door open and dismissing his sword while running down the halls. Rias soon bit her lip, looking out the window. She had to admit, the fact that someone openly released so much magical power was rather bold of them. Had she not known any better, she would have believed this to be a declaration of war. A very bold one, at that. She then pressed a finger to her temple, closing her eyes as she soon established a telepathic link to Koneko. Hopefully, she was performing her duty well. As much as she hated to pull her away from her current task and worrying over that human boy's safety, the matter would have to wait.

"Koneko. Are you there?"

At first, there was no answer. Something that unnerved her greatly. With greater fervor, she called again. This time with more heat in her voice. "Koneko!"

A second. Then a patch of static, crazy and wild before it settled down, establishing a clearer connection to her rook.

 _ **'Buchou...'**_ the heir of Gremory's brow crunched tightly, practically hearing the trembling tone in her voice. Never, save for the nightmares she suffered when she remembered the day her sister had become a Stray Devil. _**'The human...Hyoudou...he...'**_

Her heart clenched. Had Koneko failed? Had the boy died? "What happened?" she asked, fearing the worst. "Koneko, what happened to Hyoudou-kun?"

 _ **'H-he...he summoned her...'**_

She blinked. Summoned? What had that meant? Moreover...was that a tone of _reverence_ in her Rook's voice?

 _ **'He summoned Tamamo-no-Mae!'**_

* * *

 _"Silver and gemstone line the path. They forge the circle of the pact - calling to spirits of myth and legend to partake in the communion of battle."_

 _"Desires, ideals, ambitions...they become the core of the chant. The heroes of yore answer the call, vacating their thrones."_

 _"Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. The filling of thy cup continues until it breaks. The cycle repeats until power is made manifest."_

 _"Warriors of the sword, bow, and lance. Heroes of the chariot, tome and dagger. Legends of vengeance, madness and forgiveness. Together, they swirl at the center. O soul who weaves together the arcane - holder of all that creates and destroys...answer."_

A resounding heartbeat echoed. Something within the vastness of this spaced, stirred, slowly opening a pair of soft brown eyes. Above, a heavenly light danced before them. Within that light, they saw something shifting. Some kind of animal or being, with hidden eyes staring deep into their own.

A voice echoed in his ears, ringing out clearly.

 _"What is it you seek..._ _obt...w...h...e...w...o...eg...s?"_

The light spluttered, like a light bulb failing to provide illumination any further. After a few seconds, it blinked away into non-existence. Once more, they found themselves falling into darkness, eyes slowly drifting back to slumber.

At least...until a gentle voice, heavenly and beautiful, spoke in his ear. At that moment, the black vastness broke apart.

* * *

"...ome on now, hubby~! A nap is all good and all, but too much is a bad thing!"

Issei stirred awake, his body aching all over. _'Ow...'_ he thought, groaning. His muscles tightened up and hurt, just from simple movements. _'Dammit...I'm so sore. The last time I felt like this, I tried to beat Matsuda in a race back during the relay event in the Sports Day Festival last year!'_

Even to this day, he wondered why he tried to do something so stupid? Matsuda was more physically fit than he was, and was actually one of the school's top runners. Sadly, most people ignore that fact due to his perversion.

But as he pondered, he realized something. What was that voice?

Slowly, he opened his eyes. When he did, his mind short-circuited. The first thing that came to mind was that he was most likely dreaming or maybe he had died and gone to heaven when Yuuma attacked him. Beneath his head was something soft and tender, unbelievably smooth and fleshy as his hand investigated. Connected to whatever his head was laying on was a sight he was accustomed to, but NEVER to this angle. He knew for certain that, chances were, he would never be able to witness this sight in real life, given his circumstances, so he was either asleep or dead and went to paradise.

The Legendary Lap Pillow.

 _'No way.'_ his mind solemnly squealed in the utmost delight. _'No FUCKING way. T-this has to be it. I'm laying my head on soft, meaty thighs and I'm looking right at some rocking babe's panties! If this is a dream, then don't wake me up!'_

Then his mind stopped and realized something. If his head was laying on thighs, that meant a girl was willing to put him in such a position. And the voice he heard earlier was unmistakably female. Slowly, he looked up and blinked. Sure enough, it was a girl. And a bombshell at that. She was wearing a dark blue kimono and was revealing quite a bit of her cleavage and had a heart-shaped face that simply made his heart go pidder-patter. And that beautiful smile, eyes locked with his, so loving and tender, was the perfect face of a wonderful girl Issei never knew existed.

However, there was one feature that confused him profoundly. Namely, the pair of fox-like ears that twitched and flopped and wiggled atop her head.

"Welcome back, darling~" The woman chirped happily.

Good Gods...even her voice is beautiful and adorable!

"Wha..." Words died in his throat, unable to make an intelligible sound. Where on earth did this girl come from? And moreover, who was she? Not that he was complaining. She did help him cross something off from his bucket list. His eyes remained trained on her ears, though. They twitched a bit as she continued to look at him.

Noticing how tongue-tied he was, the woman giggled. "Oh, you are so cute when you're flustered, Husband!"

Cute? She thought he was cute? Well, that was...strange. Half the time, he was called gross, disgusting, plain and whatnot, so being called cute by a girl, an insanely hot girl at that, was pretty strange.

Wait, what did she just say? Slowly, and much to the woman's disappointment, Issei pushed himself up. "Um...I'm sorry." he apologized. "I don't think I heard right. Did you just call me 'husband'?"

"Of course I did, silly~"

"Ah, I see." A beat, then his jaw dropped. "EH?!"

H-h-h-h-HUSBAND?! What the hell?! When...when did he get married?! He's only 17! And how the hell did he score such a beautiful woman as his wife?!

No, wait! That wasn't the point here! When the heck did this happen?! What happened while he was unconscious-!

 _"...will you die for me?"_

Information and static suddenly reared their ugly heads inside his brain, causing him to grit his teeth and press a palm to his forehead.

That's right. How could he have forgotten? Yuma...the girl who confessed to him the other day. At the end of their date, she tried to kill him. She had black wings coming out from her back and a spear in her hand, one of which had nearly skewered him had he not thrown himself out of the way.

But what happened after that? He remembered begging for someone to help, but everything after that point was blank. It was like he suddenly went unconscious at that exact moment in time. Could he have fainted somehow? Then Issei realized something else. Something more important.

They were no longer in Kuoh Park. Rather, they were sitting in a small bus waiting station out on the street. It was still dusk, given how the sky was still colored dark orange, and there were a handful of people wandering about. Cars passed by on occasion, making the streets rather empty and dull.

"H-huh? Wait, how did I get here?"

The woman next to him laughed awkwardly, scratching her cheek. "Yeah, um...I kinda lost my temper when that filthy hag tried to turn you into a shishkebab, so I miiight have gone a bit overboard in trying to kill her." Issei stared at her, unsure if he heard her correctly for the second time. "And I might have destroyed the park in the process."

...one second passed. Then Two. Then three. Then finally, it all sunk into his head.

"...eh?"

* * *

Ice and soot covered the entire area. The fountain, which was perhaps the defining feature of the park, had been partially destroyed. Half of the concrete walls that contained the water was smashed open, letting some of the contents spill out. Small fissures and craters rested in the pavement, or rather what was left of it. Benches had been reduced to shards and splinters, some of which had been completely destroyed. The water fountain had been completely frozen over from top to bottom, making it look like some kind of demented ice sculpture. A good majority of the trees in the surrounding area that provided such a superb background had been also destroyed beyond recognition. A few were scorched beyond repair, branches naked while others had been reduced to mere disgraceful stumps.

"About a good hour has gone by, and the magic power that fills the area is still prominent." Sona remarked coolly as she adjusted her glasses. Beneath the item were sharp eyes that gleamed with both annoyance and calm fury. "The attacker was very powerful and well-versed. Moreover, the amount of power was assuredly meant to kill whoever they were fighting." She turned to Rias, who looked equally as angry yet at the same time just as spooked. "And according to Toujou-san...the one responsible for this was Tamamo-no-Mae?"

The heir of Gremory nodded. "Yes. She said that Hyoudou-kun summoned him." She pursed her lips, folding her arms beneath her ample bust. "That boy possessed no magical power...and yet I know Koneko wouldn't lie. ESPECIALLY not about something like this."

The girl had been absolutely serious in her report. There was no mistaking that expression of fear she had.

She had good reason to be afraid, if it truly was Tamamo-no-Mae.

Sona looked back at the devastation before her. Such a sight was ugly, and more importantly, insulting. Such destruction, and in the middle of the territory she shared alongside Rias. Territory they were supposed to maintain. It was utterly disgraceful.

"Kaichou." Tsubaki called, approaching from behind her. "We've created a bounded field. It should last for a few days. Long enough for us to repair the park."

"Thank you, Tsubaki."

Her Queen was silent. "...do you really believe it really was Tamamo-no-Mae?"

"Logically speaking, no." the King of the Sitri peerage answered. "She died long ago at the hands of soldiers and magicians alike. However, logically speaking usually refers to ordinary humans. She was a nine-tailed fox on top of being the Avatar of Amaterasu-no-Mikoto. The only true way to confirm this would be to monitor Hyoudou-kun closely."

Rias, mulling over the situation herself, noticed something lying on the ground. Curious, she bent down and picked it up. It appeared to be a black metal container, bearing a golden insignia resembling some sort of dragon. "What is this?" she wondered, opening it to find nine cards, each depicting a different figure with a name attached. "How curious..."

"What is it, Rias?" Sona asked.

"This. I found it lying on the ground." She gave it to Sona, who took it and looked it over. "Strangely, it survived the destruction around it. Completely unharmed, I might add."

The Sitri heiress remained quiet as she inspected the container and its contents. How strange. The cards themselves seem to be composed of normal card stock, yet there was something different about them. Of what, she couldn't say. She gently rapped her knuckles against the container. "It seems to be made of some sort of metal." she inspected. "And it's magically reinforced. Whoever created it meant for it to withstand virtually almost anything. I'd wager it could handle your Power of Destruction and still come out unscathed."

"Really?" Rias asked, surprised. "But why reinforce something as simple as a box full of cards?"

"Who can say? For now, let's find Hyoudou-kun and our troublesome youkai." Sona's eyes narrowed dangerously, showing that she meant business. "If this truly is Tamamo-no-Mae we're dealing with, then we'd best be on our guards here."

* * *

"S-so, let me get this straight. You're Tamamo-no-Mae."

"Yep~"

"The same Tamamo-no-Mae from Shinto folklore?"

"That's me~"

"A-and the reason you saved me from Yuma-chan was because I summoned you."

"That's it~" Tamamo said with the same sing-song tone, all the while grinning like a fool. Then her face melted into a small frown. "Still, that hag was quite rude! Attacking me after you went through the trouble of bringing me here! Who does she think she is?" Her frown grew further, puffing her cheeks. "And all I managed to do was just get a wing off of her. Hmph!"

Issei stared at the woman who had called herself his wife not too long ago, not sure whether she was perhaps insane or if he was still dreaming. He was too confused to tell, and this damned headache that has plagued him all day was not helping matters. "Um, okay..." he said, sighing. "This is so weird. Too much stuff happening way too fast..."

First his supposed girlfriend tried to kill him, then he passes out, then he wakes up on a lap pillow of a girl who claims to be the incarnation of Amaterasu from Shinto legend as well as his wife...

It was too much.

 _'My head hurts.'_ Issei thought. His skull felt as if it was about to crack and shatter apart. _'Dammit, I think it's worse than when Kaichou let me go home early the other day.'_

"Are you alright, Husband?" Tamamo asked him, face written plainly with concern. "You look like you're in pain."

God this felt so weird. Any other day, he'd be happy to have someone like this call him like that. Especially a girl as cute as this. However, given everything that's happened to him today, it just felt so...strange. Out of place.

"It's nothing." he told her with a small smile. "My head's just been hurting for the last couple of days. So, um, Tamamo-san-"

"Tama-chan."

Issei blinked. "Eh?"

"Call me Tama-chan." Tamamo told him with a strangely serious face.

"O-okay, Tama-chan..." he corrected himself. The woman now smiled.

His heart went aflutter, seeing such a beautiful smile. Aaah, he must have been the luckiest guy on the-no, wait. Focus brain! "S-so, what happened to Yuma-chan?"

"Oh, you mean the hag?" Tamamo pouted. "The filthy crow got away before I could clip her wings." Then a wide smile formed across her face. "But I think she got the message. Nobody messes with a newlywed!"

"N-Newlywed?!" Issei gaped. Just what happened when he was unconscious?!

"Uh-huh!" Tamamo chirped. "A summoning is like a marriage contract, no?"

Issei stared at her, mouth agape. Summoning? What?! The hell was going on?! Was this another weird-ass dream?! He knew he was dreaming of a girl that would be like a housewife or something, but this was not what he had in mind?! He soon cringed in pain when his skull throbbed once more. Damn this headache of his. It was only making things worse.

Maybe he should just head home for the day. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. At least then he'd get...some...

"...oh my god." he realized as he palmed his face with horror, much to the fox girl's confusion. "My parents are going to MURDER me..."

It was late, so freaking late! He was supposed to have been home hours ago! Forget Yuma, they were going to tear him apart!

Tamamo was oblivious to his obvious plight, though she didn't really mind. Instead, she merely giggled to herself. _'He's so adorable~'_ she thought giddily. _'To think I have a Master like him! I'm so lucky.'_ Then she paused and reflected on the situation. No, that wasn't right. He wasn't her Master. And she wasn't a Servant, either. At least, not anymore. It was so strange, how she was called into the world in such a strange manner. She flexed her hands, letting her prana flow through her. Compared to her time as a Caster-class Servant, the power that flowed through her was in much greater force.

There was also, of course, the fact that she lacked an astral form. This body was nothing but pure flesh and blood. It was quite a strange phenomenon. Servants summoned by the Grail are granted a physical body made of Prana. Yet her body is physical and real.

It made her quite curious about her new husband. What kind of summoning method did he use? Could it even really be called that? If she remembered right, there was a magic that could resurrect the dead. The Heaven's Feel. It was what was used to call forth Fragments of Heroic Spirits: the Servants who embodied their legend. She classified as a Caster, Lancer and Berserker, but only one version of her could exist. And each Servant only had a fraction of her power. Of course, it was natural. She was a Divine Spirit, so her power was obviously limited.

Yet she had access to all that power. It felt quite strange.

At present, though, she didn't need to worry about the details of her apparent summoning. For now, she'll just enjoy her time with her husband!

 _'I wonder what his parents are like?'_

* * *

"...Raynare is late." a middle-aged man, dressed in a trench coat and fedora hat, mumbled with slight concern. "Where is she? She should have accomplished her mission by now."

A voluptuous woman wearing a skimpy dress tilted her head, flipping her hair. "Do you think she ran into the Devils?"

"Perhaps, though unlikely. Due to the ceasefire, they wouldn't risk fighting with a Fallen without circumstance."

"If they do pick a fight, though, wouldn't the boss be in trouble?" a blonde girl dressed like a gothic lolita asked, hanging up on the rafters. "Lucifer and Leviathan's sisters are the ones ruling this territory."

"Not necessarily." The man answered. "Depending on who attacked first, either party could be blamed for initiating conflict."

Not that they would have preferred it. They wanted little confrontation with the Devils in this territory, especially given the nature of their mission. Besides, Dohnaseek doubted the loss of one human would be worth much to them. Especially since there were so many humans already. Still, this was troubling. Why hadn't Raynare returned already? Had she experienced trouble? Was there perhaps an unforeseen complication?

As the three Fallen Angels waited, the doors to the cathedral opened. In came Raynare. Her beautiful dress, meant to tempt Issei Hyoudou, was torn and ripped apart, the majority scorched beyond repair. Her body was shaking, skin pale where her once beautiful face was marred with soot. Her ebony hair was disheveled as if she had just woken up, only a hundred times worse as a good portion of it was somehow burned and singed, making it uneven and rather choppy. Blood ran down the side of her face while she clutched a severely broken arm. Her leg was sliced open, letting more blood leak down her leg.

However, all of that paled in comparison to the shredded, almost mangled remains of her left feathery wing.

"R-Ray!"

Kalawarner was the first to reach her, flying down to her side and preventing her from falling to the ground. Out of the three, she was arguably the closest to Raynare due to the reasons why they had fell in the first place.

"K-Kala..." Raynare gritted her teeth. Her pride was in shambles, just barely letting her restrain from screaming and whimpering in pain. Her dignity would not allow her to appear weak. "Grgh! Fucking hell...!"

"What the hell happened to you?" Mittelt asked, jumping down from the rafters. "You look like you got your ass handed to you by a bear!"

Dohnaseek's eyes narrowed. "Was it a Devil?"

"N-no." Raynare spat. "It wasn't. It was a youkai." The three were surprised to hear this. A youkai was here in the Devils' territory? Were they really that sloppy? More importantly, why was a youkai here in Kuoh? However, what she said next surprised them even further. "I-it wasn't just some run-of-the-mill youkai, either! It was fucking Tamamo-no-Mae!"

Dohnaseek gasped. "B-but that's impossible! Tamamo-no-Mae is-!"

"Look at me." Raynare snarled. "LOOK AT ME, DOHNASEEK! Do I look like I'm joking?! I am missing a wing, Dohnaseek! A fucking wing! AND IT WAS THE AVATAR OF AMATERASU WHO DID IT!"

The other three Fallen looked at one another. They were unsure how to properly process this revelation. If their comrade was telling the truth...then things just got even more complicated...

But that shouldn't be possible. The Avatar of the Shinto Sun Goddess was dead and gone. The idea that she still existed in the modern day was...

But if it is possible...

* * *

For about a few minutes since he made his way back home, Issei had never expected so many strange things to happen. To start off the list, he nearly got killed by his girlfriend, no wait, ex-girlfriend he supposed would be the better term right now. Then he found out he summoned the incarnation of the sun goddess herself, which also landed him into a marriage of some kind. He tried to make sense of it, but it was too much. His headache was not helping matters.

Tamamo had insisted that she meet his parents in order to earn their approval. He had no idea what the hell was going on through her mind. He was also terrified for himself as well. How was he supposed to explain all of this to his parents. What would he say? "Hi guys! Turns out my ex-girlfriend has wings and tried to kill me, but I summoned this really hot fox girl and now I'm married!" Yeah, that would boil over well.

He was still fixated on those ears of her, though. They looked so fluffy. Would she mind if he touched them?

 _'No, stop!'_ Issei shouted in his mind. _'Focus, Hyoudou!'_

"So this is your home..." Tamamo mused as she tilted her head, inspecting his home with curiosity. "Not very big, though, compared to the other houses around here."

Issei chuckled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "Well, my family doesn't really make all that much." he told her. "They were low-end jobs, but it pays enough for the bills. So, um...are you sure you want to meet my parents?"

"But of course! It's only fair that I meet my future in-laws, no?"

"W-well, I guess, but I'm still not sure..." The brunette then glanced back at her ears, along with her tail. His frown grew. "I suppose I could tell them that you're into cosplay, but would they even really buy that?"

Tamamo tilted her head, not sure what he meant by that before realizing what he was getting at. It would be odd to see their future daughter-in-law with fox ears and a tail. Fortunately, she knew how to remedy the situation. With a small grin, she let her magic flow and twirled her hand. In seconds, a shimmer danced around her, forming into a small aura of light before it cloaked her being. Issei winced, covering his eyes as the light proved to be too bright.

Eventually, it died down. As he lowered his arms, he suddenly found his jaw becoming well acquainted with the floor and his pants becoming uncomfortably around his nether regions.

His 'wife' was no longer clad in her blue kimono, nor was she with a tail or ears. Instead, she looked to be an extremely beautiful girl that gave off the spring vibe. And by the gods, did she look good. She wore a pink-and-white striped thin jacket that was partially unzipped, revealing her amble cleavage and the sleeves ending at the tips of her fingers. Below, she wore black shorts with dark pink frills that incredibly well with her thigh-high socks with similar frills. At her feet were black boots with a light pink accent and sole. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders, a few black bows found here and there. Her jacket's hood also had large triangular appendages, no doubt to accomodate for her fox ears.

Needless to say, she was drop dead sexy. _'If this is a dream, then don't wake me up!'_ Issei's perverse side solemnly declared with all his heart, hearts in his eyes. ' _Because I think I'm in love!'_

"What do you think, Husband?" Tamamo asked, wanting his input. "Will this suffice?"

"Y-yes! Most definitely!" Issei nodded energetically.

Tamamo grinned, putting her hands on her hips, proud that her attire suited her husband's tastes.

Now it was time to meet the in-laws!

Steeling himself for the scolding of a lifetime to come, Issei took the key from his pocket, inserted in the door, turned it, and open the door.

Not even an inch open and his mother slammed the door open, a furiously concerned expression on her face. **_"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"_**

Issei squeaked, recoiling. Tamamo blinked, surprised by the ferocity this woman demonstrated.

"Er...h-hi, mom?"

"Don't 'hi' me, mister!" her mother growled. "You've been gone for hours! Do you have any idea how worried your father and I have been?! I understand that this was your very first date, but for heaven's sake! What were you two even doing?! Were you doing something indecent?! Moreover, why didn't you answer your phone?! You know the rules, Ise-kun! Now what do you have to say...for...your..." His mother trailed off, noticing Tamamo's presence. Blinking, she stared at the girl before turning to Issei. "Ise-kun, is this...?"

Recovering himself quickly, Issei's mind already thought up a plausible excuse. "U-um, mom, this is my girlfriend, Yuma!" he said, trying his best not to screw up. "Yuma, this is my mother, Narumi!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Narumi-dono." Tamamo said, understanding the lie her husband gave as she bowed politely. "I hope I have not caused you or your husband any trouble."

"O-oh no, not at all..." Narumi shook her head. "Pardon my behavior earlier, I was just worried because Issei never contacted me about being late..."

"I apologize." She bowed. "We were having so much fun we just lost track of time..."

She paused. "That, and teaching a filthy old hag not to touch what isn't hers."

Issei laughed while panic raged. That...was bad. Thankfully, his mother didn't seem to understand what she meant before turning back to her son. "Well, it is your first date, so I suppose I'll let it slide. At any rate, Yuma-chan, would you like to stay over for dinner? Ever since Ise-kun mentioned you, my husband and I have been wanting to meet you."

"Of course!" Tamamo smiled. "It would be my honor, Narumi-dono!"

Issei's mother giggled. "My, so polite." she remarked pleasantly. "Well, come on in, then!"

With a cheerful smile, Tamamo entered the household with Issei following after her. It seems like things went better than he anticipated.

 _'But what's the bad feeling I'm getting?'_ Issei wondered, feeling unsure. He shook his head, wondering if it was just because of everything that's happened today. "Hey, mom? Do we have any tylenol? I've been having this killer headache for the last couple of days lately."

"We should still have some in the cupboard." Narumi said. She then turned to Tamamo and smiled widely. "Yuma-chan, would you like to have dinner with us?"

"That would be delightful. Thank you very much." She clasped her hands together in gratitude.

Warning bells sounded off in Issei's head. Dinner? With his parents? With Tamamo?

 _'Oh boy...'_

* * *

Unknown to anyone in the Hyoudou Household, however, there were prying eyes observing it. Said prying eyes belonged to Rias Gremory, who watched the four interact at the dinner table as they ate. They seemed to be rather animated as well, though as to why she was unsure. She couldn't hear anything, though she wasn't really interested in the conversation. Rather, she was more interested in the scenery itself. More specifically, one of the four at the table.

"Is that her, Koneko?" Rias asked her Rook. The petite girl nodded, face serious and rigid. "So, that's the legendary Tamamo-no-Mae."

Quite frankly the girl she was observing...wasn't quite what she expected of a being known as the incarnation of Amaterasu. She would've imagined the host of the most powerful Shinto Goddess to be more refined and professional.

The pink haired woman before her was very cheerful and affectionate.

Of course, Rias always held true to the saying to never judge a book by its cover. The best example was her brother. Despite his odd faults, he was every bit worthy his title of Devil King Lucifer. Though he may act childish, beneath that is a powerful devil who would reek havoc upon any who dared to harm what he held dear. And may the God of the Bible have mercy on the poor bastards who were on the receiving end.

Though Tamamo-no-Mae may look innocent...the magical power she possessed was far beyond that of anything she's ever seen. _'High-class?'_ she wondered. ' _No, Ultimate. Maybe even Maou?'_

"Mother told me many stories about Tamamo-no-Mae-sama." Akeno said, staring at the figure with a sort of reverence given her upbringing as a shrine maiden. "Though I must admit, I wasn't quite expecting this."

"Neither can I, but magical power does not lie, Akeno." Rias' frown deepened. "And yet, despite all of this, I still don't feel an ounce of magical power from Hyoudou-kun." She looked back at Koneko. "You're sure? Before she appeared, you felt him flare mana?"

"Yes, Buchou." Koneko said. "It was...unlike anything I've ever felt. There were so many presences, not just his. Each was different. It was...hard. I couldn't make out most of them."

"Many presences?" Rias hummed, drumming her finger along her chin. "Perhaps he's more likely a conduit of magic power, rather than possessing his own reserves?"

"It's possible." Akeno hummed. "Hyoudou-kun has shown no aptitude in the magical arts. So it is unlikely for the flare of power to be from his own reserves."

Kiba tilted his head. "So he simply borrows magic power from another?" he inquired. "But Koneko said she felt multiple people's powers. An ordinary human without any magical potential whatsoever would die by using themselves as a conduit if the person they're borrowing power from is too powerful. So many individuals at once would obliterate his body completely."

"Ordinary..." Suddenly, it clicked in Rias. A realization dawned upon her and she cursed her stupidity. How is it that she couldn't have seen this sooner? "Akeno. Please investigate the Hyoudou Family tree and their ancestors."

Akeno blinked. "Ara? May I ask why?"

"While it may be true that Hyoudou may not have aptitude in magic, a possible explanation for this phenomenon could be due to his lineage. He may have been descended from powerful mages with large reserves."

Her Queen nodded, taking her leave from the room.

* * *

The bad feeling that Issei sensed had come true. It was a catastrophe of untold levels. It may as well have been the end of the world. He wanted nothing more than the world to swallow him up and kill him.

"Eh?! Darling's a pervert?!"

"Oh, yes. We've tried so hard to put him on the right path, but ever since he met that old man in the park so long ago, he's been utterly obsessed with women's breasts! He even dreams of one day being a harem king of all things! I know he may seem like an insufferable lecher at times, Yuma-chan, but please! Set him on the right path!"

Issei didn't dare lift his head up. His entire face from the neck down was scarlet, bangs obscuring his eyes. Damn his mother for subjecting him to this treatment! Was this payback for not being a good son and not working hard in school?! Was this his punishment for being a pervert?! Telling Tamamo about his sinful backstory?! He couldn't help it if he was a hot-blooded man!

 _'This...really is the worst.'_

"Careful, dear." Ryoji Hyoudou, Issei's father, said with a small smile on his face. "If you embarrass Ise-kun any further, and he just might die from embarrassment."

'That might be preferable.' Issei thought in despair. The stare Tamamo gave him was...very painful. And for some reason, he feared for the safety of his crotch. 'Oh, just let this torture be done with!'

"I see...very well then!" Tamamo stood up from her seat, her expression best in fierce determination. "I shall do it!" She pounded her fist into her chest. "I will ensure that darling is purged of such indecent thoughts! After all, it is a wife's duty to tend to his Husband, is it not?"

Issei choked. She WHAT?! What was going on?!

His parents looked at one another, then at Tamamo. "...Yuma-chan." his mother said in a quiet voice. "Are you saying...you want to marry Ise-kun?"

"There is no _'want,'_ Narumi-dono." Tamamo said matter-of-factly as she crossed her arms. "We are already wed."

Yep, she did. She totally just did. So much for normalcy and whatnot. Goodbye, Issei Hyoudou's sanity. It was nice knowing you.

Both his parents were rendered speechless by the startling proclamation. Issei wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole right now.

Soon, Narumi regained her voice as she looked at Tamamo with a very serious look on her face. "Yuma-chan, may we speak in private for a moment?"

"Of course, Narumi-dono." Tamamo replied.

The two women then stood up, leaving the room. As they did, Issei found himself staring at Tamamo in worry. No doubt she was going to be torn a new one by his mother. He wasn't sure who he should be worried for more, Tamamo for being on the receiving end of a lengthy scolding or his mother out of fear she might provoke her. His eyes then found themselves glued to his 'wife's' swaying hips, which were a mesmerizing sight.

Dear god, those curves were dangerous.

"...I thought you said Amano-san was shy." Ryoji said, utterly astounded by the girl's bravery before grinning. "That was not shy, Ise-kun. That is a bold declaration. You sure know how to pick 'em."

Issei laughed nervously, unsure whether or not if that was a compliment. He certainly had quite a bit of luck, having a beautiful and sexy girl like that as his apparent wife, yet at the same time he was still scared out of his mind.

"She's a keeper, all right." his father continued. "They don't make girls like that, anymore. Heh. Reminds me of Narumi-chan back in our school days."

"Eh?! Mom was like Ta-er, Yuma-chan?"

Ryoji nodded sagely. "Oh, most definitely. I wasn't really the popular or handsome guy in school. I was just the deadly average guy. Yet, in my second year, I might this girl who's constantly hanging around me. She wasn't the naggy or nosy or forceful kind of girl. Just the kind of girl who seemed to hang around you for no apparent reason and she almost always got her way. Not 'cause she was spoiled or anything, but because unlike other people, she was assertive and bold."

Issei remained quiet as he listened. This was honestly the first time his parents ever talked about when they were his age or how they met. He found himself intrigued and continued to have an open ear.

"Narumi-chan was definitely not like most girls. Strange part was, she wasn't one of the popular girls, either. True, she had a small fanbase, but that was because of how good she was at kickboxing. A few girls admired her, and the boys? Hah! They were terrified of her because of how badly she kicked their asses."

"Huh." Issei rested his hand against his palm. "So mom was a go-getter kind of girl?"

Ryoji chuckled. "Yep. To be honest, I still don't understand how or why she fell for an average joe like me. Anyway, point is, Issei. A fine gal like that? That is a girl you will never find anywhere else. Don't lose her, otherwise you might regret it."

Issei didn't think he had to worry about that. If he was being honest, Tamamo seemed like the person that wouldn't let go of him. Then again, they had only just met...which only added to his confusion. He understood the part about her summoning being something like a marriage contract, but was she really happy about that? She was more or less with a guy who was a pervert for a living. Was she honestly okay with that? Surely, she could be with someone better.

 _'More importantly...'_

His mind raced back to earlier today. Even now, he could not remove the picture of Yuma with pitch-black wings, staring at him with a sinister smile, spear of light in hand and poised to end him right then and there.

 _"You don't have any magic power from what I can tell. And you don't even have a Sacred Gear. Why does a filthy human like you interest Azazel-sama so much?"_

 _'What did she mean by that? What the heck is a Sacred Gear? And what even IS Yuma, anyway? Who the heck is this Azazel guy?'_

There were far too many questions and too little answers. In all honesty, this situation made him feel as if he were in some kind of light novel.

"ISE-KUN!"

The brunette and his father jumped, whirling around to see Narumi rush into the kitchen, clasping her hands on his shoulders with an almost crazed look on her face.

"E-eh?! Mom, what's-"

"MARRY HER!" came the shout that damn near blew his eardrums. "MARRY THAT GIRL RIGHT NOW!"

A second. Two, three, four. Five seconds. Then Issei's brain caught up.

"...eh?"

"THIS GIRL IS A PRECIOUS TREASURE THAT YOU MUST NOT LOSE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" She exclaimed as she shook him gently.

"E-eh?! Eh?!"

Wh-what the hell was his mother talking about?! He saw Tamamo emerging from the hallway, a beaming smile on her face. Ryoji laughed. "I take it you passed her 'wife seminar', Yuma-chan?"

"Yes, I have." Tamamo grinned. "Please take care of me, otou-sama."

Issei's jaw dropped. He would say, what the hell, but he had a feeling that would become rather old real quick along with "eh." By now, sanity probably understood that it was useless and he should just accept it.

Instead, he did the smartest thing. He promptly groaned.

Today really was weird.

* * *

After dinner had come to its end, and after a very animated talk with his parents, Issei had arrived in hell.

"W-what...happened to my room?!"

If he wasn't freaking out before, he most definitely was now.

His room was...it was...

...clean.

It was completely spotless. Nothing littered the floor, his study desk was cleared, his books were all shelved, and his nightstand was tidy.

...and therein lied the problem.

WHERE THE HELL WAS ALL HIS PORN...?!

"Do you like it, Husband?" Turning, he found a still beaming Tamamo. The expression had been practically glued to her face after she had more or less passed whatever test his mother put her through. "I took the liberty of cleaning your room. Isn't it wonderful?"

Issei was too stunned to say anything. He could have sworn he heard his heart shatter apart. How...how could this have happened? Was he actually being punished? What did he do? Become a pervert?! That could be said about nearly every male on the planet! What was everyone supposed to expect?!

"W-why...?" he found himself struggling to breath. "Why did you...clean my room?"

"You won't need trash like this anymore, my dear husband! After all, you have little ol' me to serve your needs!"

Without warning, Tamamo closed the gap between them. Her disguise had been dropped, reverting to her blue kimono and animal-like features. A sultry smile had made itself known along with the sweet smell of honey and roses invading Issei's nostrils. Her ample chest was pressed up against his, making his inner pervert throw a fiesta. The firmness of her breasts rubbing up against his chest was beyond anything he could have ever experienced. Her arms snaked around his neck, noses touching. Her breath felt hot, sending delightful shivers down his neck.

"Now then, what shall we do, Issei-kun?" Tamamo asked, no longer using her pet name for him. Somehow, her voice had changed, matching her overall appearance and appeal. He found it hard to stare anywhere else. "Have some dessert? Perhaps a bath? Or maybe..." she giggled and leaned in, whispering in his ear.

"...you want me?"

Issei's brain short-circuited, unsure whether or not he heard that correctly. Was-was this real? Was this actually happening? He wasn't dreaming up some scene from one of his many eroge games, right? No, couldn't be! This was far too real! She was actually offering!

 _'I...I...!'_

His senses failed and overloaded. The stimulation, the sexiness...it was too much!

Issei's eyes promptly rolled to the back of his head, blood spewing from his nose like a guyser and falling unconscious, leaning back. Tamamo blinked. "Eh? E-eh?! Husband?!"

She rushed over to his side in concern. His vision was blurry. His world fading to black. Her cries were fading away.

 _'Damn...I really am in Heaven...'_

* * *

"Hahahahahaha! So he really did call on Tamamo first!" Zelretch boomed with laugher, holding his sides. "I don't know whether the pity the poor boy or find him lucky."

The one known as the Wizard Marshall continued his laughter for several minutes. He was absolutely in stitches!

This was just as entertaining as watching Emiya's own journey! Speaking of which, he had been looking at what he had been doing, and he wasn't disappointed. Things had certainly changed for the boy, what with ending up being partnered with Mordred as Saber. Curious, given how Ascalon should have sumoned Arturia instead, but he didn't find it any less entertaining. Already, he could imagine the tense moments and differences in having such a powerful knight with him.

On another note, the nature of the Heaven's Feel was quite unique this time around. Normally, it revolved around using Class Cards and summoning a Servant, but the boy actually revived a Heroic Spirit into flesh and blood. Not to mention with all their powers at their disposal. The Servant System was designed specifically to limit a Heroic Spirit's power when called upon, so that no one Master could have the advantage.

That said, Hakuno Kishinami from the Moon Cell would very much like to disagree, what with having Gilgamesh at their side and all. That was an entirely different can of worms.

The premise was more or less the same for Issei Hyoudou in this world, except the class cards served another purpose here. They were, in a sense, related to what class best suited a Servant. AN example would be a spearman like Cu Chulainn. While he was proficient in the art of magic, he was famed for his skills with a spear. It was his element. His true calling. Similarly, using the Caster Class Card to communicate with Tamamo appealed to her in a class she was best suited for, given her affinity for magic. But simply using a class card to communicate with a Heroic Spirit did not mean they would be called into the world as a Servant. No, they would be fully revived with all of the powers related to their legend.

In other words, Issei Hyoudou revived Legendary Souls from the Throne of Heroes.

"A marvelous ability." Zelretch mused, leaning back and folding his hands before a dark smile touched his face. "Yet also dangerous. Who knows what sort of person may seek him out and use him for his own benefit?"

"Fow!"

Zelretch looked to the side, finding a familiar white animal sitting atop the table. His smile turned much warmer. "And how long have you been there?"

"Fow."

"Hmph. I thought so. Guiding the boy?"

"Fow!"

The old vampire waved a hand. "Oh, relax. I've only given him the tools necessary for his journey. Nothing more."

"Fow...!"

"Oh, don't get snippy with me, you overgrown monkey. I know what I'm doing. It's why I'm simply guiding him. No more than you are. And speaking of guiding...how much power did the boy use, reviving Tamamo-no-Mae?"

"Fow~" the animal chirped.

Zelretch scratched his chin. "I see...if that's how much power it takes to call upon a Divine Spirit in its entirety, I wonder how much it would take to revive a Heroic Spirit the likes of Karna, Gilgamesh, or Heaven's forbid Scathach."

"Fow!" The petite animal chirped again.

"Indeed...and one can only imagine the cost of summoning beings like them..." the man shook his head.

"Fow!"

* * *

The morning had been rather interesting for Issei. Then again, one could really say that about yesterday as well, but for overall entirely different reasons and whatnot. He knew he had passed out when Tamamo had pressed him straight to the edge, reciting a famous line from any of his eroge games, but he surely expected to find her sleeping next to him when he woke up in bed. At first, he thought it was all a strange dream. Then he smelled something very delicious coming from downstairs.

Then he found heaven once again.

"N-Nude Apron...!"

Standing by the stove was Tamamo...wearing nothing but a frilly pink apron. Was...was he dreaming again?

"Ohayo, darling~" Tamamo greeted, looking over her shoulder with a smile. "Breakfast will be ready soon!"

Issei could only dumbly nod. His eyes drifted to her exposed back, admiring her slender form laid naked for all to see before becoming glued to her buxom exterior. He found it difficult to breath. Tamamo truly was a hazard to his health. He was a pervert, perhaps even a hardcore pervert, but goddammit, this couldn't be healthy whatsoever. Didn't she realize she was even doing to him?

Blood was rushing to two places in his body. His little man was stiffening while a stream of blood poured from his nose in arousal. Stiffly, almost rigidly, he sat down at the table, trying to keep himself as composed as possible while wiping away the blood from his nose.

Was this...how his life was going to be like from now on? With Tamamo as his self-proclaimed wife? No, that didn't sound right. It definitely felt more like they really were husband and wife. Even still, he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. The whole situation felt unnatural to him. Most women he encountered hated his guts. It was so strange just to have one clinging to him like this. He wasn't going to complain, though. It was definitely awesome. It was like he was living out a dream! He just...wasn't quite used to a girl being so willing to be with him.

Then again, most girls weren't actual living youkai, much less the incarnation of a sun goddess. Once again, Issei found himself reliving what happened yesterday.

"Just what the hell was Yuma-chan?"

"Did you say something, darling?"

"N-no, it's nothing." Issei told her. "I'm just...still processing what happened yesterday, what with Yuma-chan trying to kill me and all."

"Oh, don't worry about that old hag." Tamamo puffed her cheeks. "As long as I am here there is not reason to worry about her, darling."

Her words were reassuring, but he still couldn't help but feel worried. What if Yuma came back and tried to kill him again? Why was she even after him? There was so much he didn't understand.

 _'Maybe I'm just overthinking everything.'_ Issei thought, sighing. _'I should just focus on school for now.'_

"By the way, Husband."

"You know, you don't have to keep calling me 'husband' or darling." Issei told her, smiling a bit. "Just call me Ise."

Tamamo's cheeks burned, looking scandelized. "E-eh?! A-are you sure?"

"Of course I am."

"V-Very well, then." Tamamo giggled madly, a heavy blush on her face. Was he truly telling her to call him by his nickname? Her heart danced in delight. "T-Teeheehee..."

"So, what did you want to ask, Tama-chan?"

That snapped her out of her daydreams. "O-oh, right. I'm hoping you'd indulge this wife's selfishness."

"Um...sure. What is it?"

"May I see what Kuoh Academy is like?"

 _"...huh?"_

* * *

 **"HUH?!"**

Issei scratched the back of his head, slowly losing feeling in his right arm as Tamamo, back in her human-like disguise, had her body wrapped around it. The feeling of breasts smothering his arm was a most delightful experience indeed.

He could not say the same about the deathglares that Motohama and Matsuda were sending him.

"ISSEI YOU TRAITOR!"

"DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!"

And other indignant remarks.

To be perfectly frank, he honestly expected this. Unlike before with Yuma, though, he wasn't flaunting Tamamo off. If anything, he was more worried about himself. He was in deep water enough with Sona due to his activities. What would she do if he brought a complete stranger to the school? And with her latching unto his arm, no less? Granted, she was very affectionate and he was enjoying every second of it, but he did not want to incur the wrath of the Iron Maiden.

"They're a lively bunch, aren't they?" Tamamo remarked.

Issei gave an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Y-yeah, I guess so." he said. "Guys, this is Tamamo. Tama-chan, this are my friends, Motohama and Matsuda."

"Ah! Okaa-sama mentioned these two before! The pedophile and the peeping tom!"

Issei sweatdropped. 'Dammit, mom. What did you tell her? Granted, they're spot on, but come on...'

"Oi oi!" Matsuda cried indignantly. "I'm not a pedophile! It ain't a crime to admire legal loli's!"

"And technically, all three of us are peeping toms." Motohama pointed out before glaring at Issei again. "Also, go to hell you treacherous bastard! How dare you get a girlfriend before us?!"

"W-well, I wouldn't say girlfriend as much as..." Issei trailed off, catching what the three-size scouter had just said. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"That you can go to-"

"No no! After that!"

The two perverts blinked, looking at one another before turning back to Issei. "Uh...how dare you get a girlfriend before us?"

Girlfriend before them? They...they said that before, when he showed them Yuma. As if it was something entirely new to them...

Did they...forget Yuma?

"D-do you guys know a girl named Yuma Amano?"

"No. Why?"

Tamamo looked at him with an unreadable expression. He ignored it and pulled out his cell phone, quickly bringing up his contacts.

Gone. It wasn't there. Yuma Amano's contact info was nowhere to be found.

"You okay, dude?" Matsuda asked. "You kinda look pale."

His hand was shaking. This...this wasn't possible. He knew he had her contact ipstored in his phone. The top of his list. But it's gone...as if it were never there. "Y...yeah. I'm fine." he said, putting his cell back into his phone. "It's just...been a hell of a day."

"Hell of a day?" A pause. Then the protests came back in full force, magnified by ten. **"YOU FUCKER! YOU DIDN'T!"**

The brunette recoiled. "W-what?"

"You traitor!" Matsuda sobbed. "How the fuck did you get that far, you bastard?!"

"Not cool, Ise! This is in clear violation of the perverted bro code!"

Wait, what? What were they talking about? Before he even had a chance to ask, they were off, speeding like a rocket and cursing his name to the high heavens. Issei could only stare at their backs, blinking rapidly in confusion. He soon regained his voice. "What...the hell...just happened?"

"Beats me." Tamamo shrugged. "You have strange friends, hubby."

Well, she wasn't wrong there. They were strange, but then again, perverts were just like that. Still, what they told him and what he discovered on his phone troubled him.

"They didn't remember Yuma-chan at all when I introduced them to her the other day. And her contact info on my phone is gone. What's going on?"

"Their memories were probably erased." Issei looked at Tamamo, her cheerful expression replaced by a stoic one. "That hag had a bit of magic power. Influencing the mind of a human is probably nothing to her."

"W-what? Is that really possible?"

"I don't know. I've never met someone like her before. Then again, I don't care much for a filthy crow like that." Tamamo shrugged before she beamed, tugging at his arm as she moved ahead of him. "Now, let's go! I'm excited to see what my husband's school is like!"

"Gah! W-wait, Tama-chan! Don't pull so hard! You're gonna tear off my arm!"

* * *

"Here is the report about the Hyoudou Family history, Buchou."

Rias accepted the papers, giving them a glance over. Her peerage was unnaturally on edge, though it was to be expected given the recent events. From the Fallen invading their territory to them attempting to kill a human and then said human summon a literal godly entity, the day had been entirely stressful. Koneko was still horribly shaken up by what happened when Tamamo-no-Mae was summoned. It took a while before she could calm down, but she was still on edge.

Eventually, the heiress of Gremory set the paper down and closed her eyes. "It's confusing, isn't it Buchou?" Kiba asked with a sardonic smile. "Given what we all felt earlier, we should have assumed that Hyoudou-san must have had an ancestor skilled in magic. But, according to what we found..."

"...he's completely and utterly average." Rias sighed.

They had gone through his ancestral records. Much to their disappointment, nothing stood out. A completely normal, and average lineage from both sides of his family. No trace of magic.

Of course, this only raised more questions than answers. Slowly, Rias was beginning to understand why Sona was infuriated by her lack of understanding behind Issei Hyoudou. To be accepted into Kuoh was one thing, but to receive a letter of recommendation from the Grand Master of the Mage's Association? For seemingly no reason at all?

 _'I feel a migraine coming on.'_ the Devil thought with a groan, palming her forehead. 'Too much crap.'

It was almost time for class to begin anyway. She could revisit this troublesome topic another time. Besides, she still needed to ask Sona about that mysterious deck of cards they found at the park. She rose from her chair, setting her glasses down on the desk when she found Koneko starting to shake.

"Koneko? Is something wrong?"

"B-Buchou..." Koneko whimpered. "S-she's here!"

She didn't need to ask who "she" was.

* * *

"Holy crap! Dude, look at that!"

"Whoa, who's she?!"

"She's so fucking gorgeous!"

"I-is she holding Hyoudou's arm?!"

"No way!"

"You think it could be blackmail?"

"How despicable!"

Issei sighed, hanging his head low while Tamamo remained oblivious to the cries of slander the students were giving him while the rest ogled and practically fell in love with the sight of the woman who had declared herself as his wife. This was more or less the reaction he was expecting from everyone, but it still hurt like hell.

And then, of course, came Sona Shitori herself. A glare had hidden her eyes from view, but her posture spoke volumes of what she thought. The tension in the air was thick between the three. Tamamo glared at her as if she was a mild annoyance while Issei himself was shaking slightly. He could have sworn he saw what looked like the Yama standing behind Sona, mallet in hand with a leer placed upon him and ready to deliver judgement.

' _I feel like my soul got turned to ice._ ' he thought, shaking in Tamamo's grasp. _'Damn, the prez is pissed!'_

"Hyoudou-San..." She spoke coolly. "...just who is this? Why have you brought a visitor on campus without permission?"

"T-this is Tama-chan." Issei said, sweating profusely. "She's my-"

"I don't think that concerns you." Tamamo interrupted sharply, startling Issei. Her tone, which should have been bubbly and cheerful, had become icy and threatening. "I think the better question is, who are you? You look human, but the smell on you says otherwise."

 _'Smell?'_

Issei looked back and forth between the two women, seemingly locked in a glaring match. Sona's cool mask remained perfect as ever as she adjusted her glasses, revealing her beautiful eyes. "...I see." she spoke, voice even. "Would I be correct in assuming you are Tamamo-no-Mae-sama?"

"I am indeed. And you are?"

"Sona Sitri, heiress to the Pillar of Sitri. An honor, Tamamo-sama."

Issei blinked. Once, twice. Three times.

"...Eh?" Just what the hell was going on now? "Wait, um, what's going on?"

"Hyoudou-kun." Sona's voice cut him out of his confusion. "Before First Period begins, please come to the Old School House."

The Old School House? If memory served, that was the old main building before Kuoh underwent renovants a good few decades ago. It was also the subject of many ghost stories, and most importantly, it was the home of the Occult Research Club, home to the two of the Three Great Ladies: Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima. That, of course, raised the question.

"Um...why?"

"Do you want to know why you were attacked? More importantly, who that woman was?"

His eyes widened in shock. "H-how do you...?"

Sona didn't give any further explanation. Tamamo, however, became more angered by her words. She looked ready to lunge at the Student Council President, but held back.

"Is this a jest, little girl?"

"No. I am simply offering an explanation." Sona replied curtly. "I can assure you, I have no hostile intentions, Tamamo-sama."

"I'm sorry...but I can't say I believe your words. Why should I put my faith in a woman who clearly hides behind a human facade?"

Issei looked back and forth between the two females, question marks dancing around his head. Seriously? What was going on? All he could get around this conversation was that Sona wasn't normal or something and Tamamo definitely wasn't happy.

That was hardly the point, though. She had answers. Answers he wanted. Why Yuma attacked him. He glanced at Tamamo, still glaring daggers at the girl in front of her.

 _'She...probably isn't going to like this.'_

* * *

As it turned out, probably was a kind way of putting it. Tamamo had all but protested to the idea, clearly not wanting him anywhere near Sona or anyone else at the old school building. When Issei made it clear to her that he wanted answers, especially since he nearly got killed yesterday. Reluctantly, Tamamo agreed and chose to accompany him.

This led to where they were at now. Currently, the brunette and Tamamo were in a rather lavish room, sitting on a couch while surrounding them were various other students, each Issei recognized for different reasons. Two of the most easily recognizable was Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima, both of whom sported rather impressive busts much to his inner delight. Akeno had long black hair tied into a ponytail, kept in place with a green bow. Rias, true to her foreign heritage, was very well known for her crimson red hair and sapphire blue eyes. Sitting on the opposing side was Koneko Toujou, a first-year and the unofficial mascot of Kuoh Academy. Sitting off to the side was the enemy of all perverts: the bishounen Kiba Yuuto. Sona was also present among their number.

"Here you are." Akeno said kindly, handing him and Tamamo a small cup of tea. "Please enjoy."

"U-um, thanks." Issei said nervously, graciously bowing his head. Tamamo wrinkled her nose, as if smelling something repulsive.

Nonetheless, she wasn't one to be so rude when someone offered her something. She took a sip of her tea. As she did, her eyes widened. "This blend..." she muttered, staring at Akeno with uncertainty. "Are you, perhaps, a shrine maiden? The herbs in this are familiar to me."

"Hai, Tamamo-sama. I tend to the Himejima shrines."

"Himejima?" Tamamo frowned. "Hm. I don't recall a clan by that name. A newer one, perhaps?" She shrugged and went back to her tea.

Rias smiled somewhat, taking a seat cross from the two. "I apologize if Sona came off as a bit rude, Hyoudou-kun." the buxom beauty told him. He was a bit distracted by the way her breasts bounced as she sat down, though he was quick to return his attention to her face. He didn't want to get into trouble with Tamamo. As they say, hell hath no fury like a wife jealous. "However, we've been on edge since yesterday. I assume you have a great deal of questions?"

"You have no idea, Gremory-senpai."

"I see. Well, to begin, allow me to introduce ourselves properly." Rias' smile turned mischievous, a twinkle dancing in her iris. "I am Rias Gremory, heir to the Pillar of Gremory. We Devils welcome you and Tamamo-no-Mae-sama to the Occult Research Club."

Then, in tandem, every single person in the room underwent a change. It wasn't a drastic one, but it was still a major one, for behind all of their backs were a pair of leather, black pinions resembling the wings of bats.

Issei had dropped his cup and back pedaled in shock. Flashes of the incident the night before came back to him. Black wings. Bloodlust. Yuma with a spear.

Before he realized, he was hyperventilating.

The bloodcurdling smile Yuma gave him brought forth a chill. His hands shook uncontrollably. His heart was dancing in his chest, threatening to fall apart.

A hand wrapped around his. He nearly jumped out of his skin, his head snapping to see the concerned, yet gentle face of Tamamo. "It's okay." she told him. "This is different, Ise-kun."

"I apologize if we caused you some discomfort." Sona said, pushing up her glasses. "Would you like us to hide your wings?"

Issei nodded dumbly. Their faces turned sympathetic and their wings vanished from sight. The image of Yuma above him with feathery black wings was still fresh in his mind, but it was less prominent. He closed his eyes and took an intake of breath. This wasn't the park. This wasn't the date. He wasn't being threatened. Tamamo was right here.

"S-so...you're Devils." he said. "As in, fallen angels? Holy beings who sinned and got cast into hell?"

Kiba chuckled wryly. "Not quite." he said. "Devils and Fallen Angels are two entirely different species. I believe you understand that firsthand yesterday."

The image sharpened. Feathery black wings stretched out with proud, yet contrasting the sinister grin that fouled her beautiful face.

"Y-you mean...?"

Rias nodded, her eyes steely. "That is correct. The woman you know as Yuma Amano, who's true name is Raynare, is a Fallen Angel."

His hands became clammy. His date...was a Fallen Angel...and she wanted to kill him...? Why?

Tamamo furrowed her brow. "And why would that hag want to kill Ise-kun?" she asked (read: demanded). "And what does she stand to gain?"

"Of that, we don't know." Sona answered. "It would be understandable if Hyoudou-kun possessed magical capabilities, or perhaps a Sacred Gear, but..."

"Sacred Gear?"

This earned surprised looks from everyone. They each looked at one another, and then turned to Tamamo. "Tamamo-sama." Rias said slowly. "Do you...not know what Sacred Gears are?"

"No, I do not." the fox answered. "I have never heard of such a term before. Then again, today is a day of firsts. Until yesterday, I have never encountered Devils nor Fallen Angels before."

"Truly?" Sona inquired, now curious with an underlying suspicious tone in her voice. "Out of curiosity, and pardon me if I overstep my boundaries, but...how long have you been here?"

"Literally yesterday." Tamamo deadpanned. "The modern world is somewhat foreign to me. The last time I was here in the mortal realm was when I was but a consort to Toba."

"But how is that possible? Even if you weren't here on the physical plane, surely you must've been aware of Fallen Angels and Devils from the Shinto Realm."

Tamamo huffed. "Simply because I am an aspect of Amaterasu-sama does not mean I know what she knows." Her glare hardened. "Now, explain what Sacred Gears are. My patience has its limits, Devils."

Stiffly, Rias nodded. She knew better than to anger someone as powerful as this. "V-very well. But before that, I suppose we would have to go into some history. Hyoudou-kun, do you believe in myths and legends?"

The brunette shook his head. There really wasn't any need to believe that, since he never put much stock into it. Following his meeting with Tamamo, as well as everyone in the room, he knew that everyone in the room was not human. He pretty much could believe whatever was in the bible now.

"Well, in the past, there was a conflict between three biblical factions: the Devils, Angels and the Fallen Angels." Sona explained to him. "The Devils were led by the Maou, the strongest being the Devil King Lucifer. The Angels were led by the Archangels and the God of the Bible. And finally the Fallen, which were led by the Grigori and their governor Azazel. It was a long and terrible conflict, and eventually, other races were dragged into the mix. Spirits, youkai, fairies and such. Humans were the most prominent."

Issei swallowed the dry lump in his throat. "A-and...what happened? How did it end?"

"A stalemate." Kiba said with sorrow. "Many lives were lost. Included were the Great Maou and many gods. Following that was a ceasefire between all the sides. Since then, the supernatural world has been in a state of peace and recovery, however small and little. In that same time, a system was created by God, bestowed upon the humans."

Tamamo fuddled her brow. "A system?"

"Yes. The Sacred Gear system." Akeno nodded. "Miracles of various feats, and each harbors a special power. They're quite numerous, but only humans can wield such powers. Among them are the 13 Longinus, said to be able to kill gods."

"I see..."

Issei frowned heavily. "A-and Yu...no, Raynare tried to kill me because I had one or because I have magic?" he asked, both in confusion and in anger. "I don't know any magic. And I think I would remember if I had something like that!"

"You are correct." the Student Council President nodded. "You showed no signs of possessing a Sacred Gear. Moreover, you hold no magical potential whatsoever. By all rights, you are an ordinary human." Creases marred her forehead as she adjusted her spectacles, crossing her legs. Were it not for the tense atmosphere, Issei would most definitely be admiring those slender, thin legs of hers and wondering what sort of forbidden sight they could be connected to. "And that is our concern. Hyoudou-kun, do you have any reason as to why Raynare would target you?"

The brunette closed his eyes. He thought back to that horrible day. It hurt just thinking how Raynare had belittled and toyed with him, calling their date, which he thought out so much, a mere way to pass the time. He didn't want to think anymore about that and instead focused on what she had said.

"She mentioned how...someone called Azazel took an interest in me."

The Devils' eyes widened considerably. "Azazel?" Rias asked, jaw agape. "The Governor of the Grigori? Why on Earth would he be interested in you?"

"How the hell should I know?!" Issei raised his arms in exasperation. "I didn't even know who the guy was until you told me about him!"

Rias sat back in her chair. Things simply were not adding up. The boy before her had no Sacred Gear nor any magical aptitude. By all rights, he should've been an ordinary human and I ogres by the Grigori. Yet one of their members attacked him last night.

Moreover, there is the presence of Tamamo-no-Mae to consider. Based on current speculation, she arrived because of Issei, yet why? Koneko claimed he had summoned her, but what did that mean exactly? Could it have been a possible reverse summoning? There was just too little they didn't know.

Additionally, there was a much more serious matter to attend to. One that she needed to ascertain. "If I may ask...what exactly is your intention here, Tamamo-sama?" The incarnation of the Shinto Sun Deity turned her attention to Rias, face stoic. "Kuoh is apart of the territories shared by both the houses of Sitri and Gremory. The fact that a youkai, on top of an avatar of a shinto goddess, raises quite a few concerns. Why have you come here? Why now of all times?"

Tamamo closed her eyes, as if to ponder her answer. Isse was rather curious about that as well. All she told him was that he called for her, but never explained why she had answered, if she had actually accepted the call by will. He had read a few novels and played enough games to know that some summons were forced and the other party was not particularly happy. What if he had somehow forcibly brought Tamamo here?

Then-

 _ **"...and just what do you have, claiming a part of the Land of the Rising Sun as your own?"**_

The temperature of the room dropped in seconds, yet somehow rising at the same time. It became unbearable, almost as if he were in a 100 degree weather for several days without cooling off. Yet somehow, at the same time, he felt as if he were in his house naked with the AC on at full blast if it could push out cold air equal to below zero temperatures.

The source behind it was none other than Tamamo, who's face had lost any and all pretenses of the lovely and adorable wife she had claimed herself to be. Her cheery smile was replaced by a thin line that looked to be more akin to a scowl. Her eyes were ice cold. A deadly aura exuded out from her, asserting her power and authority.

To the Devils in the room, it was suffocating. It felt like hands were wrapped around their necks and refused to let go. Koneko, due to her sensitive nature with senjutsu, could only shake from the power Tamamo released. Kiba tensed, hands twitching and reaching for his side as if ready to pull something. Akeno's face looked to be a cross between arousal and discomfort, tugging at the collar of her shirt. Sona and Rias were composed, but even they were reeling from the killing intent this one woman was releasing. If there had been any doubt whether or not the fox before them was truly Tamamo-no-Mae, it was erased at this very moment.

"This land was created by Izanagi-no-Mikoto-sama." Tamamo spoke, her voice as cold as ice with a tone as fiery as the depths of a volcano ready to explode at any moment. "With Izanami-no-Mikoto-sama, they forged this land as a haven for the humans and the youkai who sought to live in peace. What right do you have to invade and claim a part of these sacred lands as your own?"

A dangerous smile, one that promised pain and suffering, touched her lips. It disturbingly reminded Issei of the smile Raynare had on her face when she revealed her true nature to him. Only a thousand times worse.

"You had best hope your answer satisfies Us, otherwise..." A tongue lipped her lips as her pupils sharpened into slits, gazing upon the Devils as if they were pray to the slaughter. "We will show you what it means to touch the sun."

* * *

Night 2: END

* * *

Next Time!

?: U-um, excuse me? Where may I find the church?

Tamamo: MIKOOOOU~! You're too adorable, Ise-kun! Very well! I'll spare the Devils, if only because of your big, soft heart!

Rias: H-Husband?!

Dohnaseek: So, you are the human who summoned the Sun Goddess' Avatar.

 **Night 3: Wax Wings**

Issei: My life's going to hell in a handbasket too damn fast! S-stay tuned, everybody!

* * *

Author's Notes: *stares at the review count and likes and follows*

O.O

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O.O

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0.0

...the hell is this?! Over a hundred reviews on the first chapter alone?! And over 400 Favorites and Follows?! What sorcery is this?!

Jokes aside, I'm really happy everyone is enjoying this story. Hopefully, this chapter is to your liking. The combined effort of myself and Daemon of Wrath. I won't lie...I think I could have handled some scenes better. If need be, I will go back and rewrite them.

Moving on to more important topics, a major part of the reception was in regards to the question I had asked. The major consensus is that, yes, Heroic Spirits are far more powerful than Servants, but there are a few key difference and opinions. For the most part, a good majority of Servants could take on a good chunk of the DxD universe, with top tiers capable of taking on 666, Great Red and Ophis. One reviewer was kind enough to point this out to me.

This is what user "TheOverlordEdge" said in his review:

 _Servant- Container for the Heroic Spirit that contain only a small fraction of their true power._  
 _When Hero were Alive (Gil example above)- Strange to say the least some are stronger when alive compare to their SERVANT incarnation like Gil above due to their servant container screwing them that badly over. While other are stronger now as SERVANTS such as Tesla who was by all mean only a normal human when alive._  
 _Heroic Spirit- Without a doubt MANY times stronger than both the Servant incarnation and to when they were alive but to an unknown degree. Example Achilles as a heroic spirits has an ability for his spear than allows him to negate regeneration like that of Gae Bolg. This is apparently only available for his servant incarnation if he was summon as a Lancer._

Basically, what I can take from this review is that, depending on the person in question, if they were summoned as a Servant, they're much stronger than when they were alive. Issei, however, is summoning them directly from the Throne of Heroes with an actual body. They are, in other words, Heroic Spirits in physical, flesh and blood forms. Does this mean they are now human? Oh hell no. They're at their prime. If Tesla was summoned by Issei, he'd be much stronger than his Servant self and even more so than when he was alive.

TheOverlordEdge also pointed out that we really don't know how powerful DxD beings actually are, since most of the story takes place from Issei's point of view. At best, we know that 666 is strong enough to take on Issei and Sirzechs at the same time without taking any damage whatsoever. Other than that, though, we really have no idea. I have to agree, as I have taken the liberty of binge reading the translated light novels.

Ishibumi-sensei, please tell us how powerful your characters are. T-T it's really hard to place power levels with only Issei's point of view alone.

On another note, a number of you also suggested what Heroic Spirits Issei should call into action. I'm afraid to inform you that I already have a selection in mind and I will not be accepting any suggestions. I have to keep the Heroic Spirits summoned at a manageable number. If I add too many, I'm afraid I won't be able to write this story out properly.

So, then...who here thinks that the Devils are fucked because of Rias stepping on the proverbial landmine?

With that said, I'm out of here. Enjoy the new chapter. Please tell me your thoughts in your reviews, and hopefully I'll see you mofos next chapter~!


	3. Night 3

_...so, by now, I think you already know I'm not normal. I mean, how the hell do you call someone who's first date nearly ends with them almost killed and summons an avatar of a Shinto Sun Goddess?_

 _Even weirder still is the fact that said avatar proclaims me to be her husband, as per the summoning contract._

 _On one hand, I'm very happy that such a cute and wonderful girl is willing to be with a horrible perverted human being like me._

 _On another hand...I'm quite terrified._

 _Case in point, how the meeting between me, Tama-chan, Gremory-senpai and President went._

 _Let me introduce myself. I'm Issei Hyoudou. A healthy, perverted 17-year-old student at Kuoh Academy._

 _And this is the story of how my life went to hell in a hand basket_ _._

* * *

 **High School DxD x Fate/stay night Crossover:**

 **"Fate/stay night: The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven"**

* * *

 ** _Night 3: Wax Wings  
_**

The atmosphere in the club room was tense, if not suffocating.

Have you ever heard the expression of how the temperature of a room drops? Or perhaps the saying, "Is it hot in here or is it just me?"

Well, in this situation, both of those sayings apply. All parties involved and currently staring down a very pissed off fox girl and incarnation of Amaterasu couldn't tell whether or not they were cold or felt far too close to the sun. The heated glare she gave the Devils before them was enough to freeze hell over a dozen times and incinerate it altogether of the same amount.

Koneko shuddered, sinking deep into her seat as she tried to avoid the almost primal gaze of the youkai before her, horrible memories of a black-haired youkai coming to the forefront of her mind. Akeno stiffened, posture implying she was ready to intervene despite facing a goddess. Kiba had somehow produced a sword to his person, standing close to Rias, though the trembling arms gave away his fear. Sona and Rias tried to look composed, but both were equally as shaken by the overwhelming killing intent Tamamo produced, especially since it was directed to the both of them.

Rias, by this point, realized her question had unintentionally set off a landmine that was ready to blow up in her face.

"Well?" Tamamo bared her fangs in spite of the smile she gave them. It was anything but pleasant and promised excruciating pain. "We're waiting."

Rias couldn't think properly. Sona was barely able to breathe. The air was suffocating. It was almost as if Tamamo was purposely focusing the overwhelming intent to smother and kill them without her actually touching them, as if to show that she just didn't care for the reasons and found the idea of Devils having a presence in Japan unforgivable.

Surprisingly, Issei seemed to notice this, and almost fearfully, tugged at Tamamo's sleeve. "T-Tama-chan, I think that's enough!"

Then, like a flip of the switch, the overwhelming pressure of death was swept away like it was never there to begin with.

"But why, my husband?" She pouted. "These Devils claimed Japan as their property when they had no right to in the first place!It's not their home! It's ours!"

"I-I know!" Issei answered quickly. "It's just...maybe you can tone the intensity back a little? I mean...they look like they're suffocating!"

Tamamo looked back at the Devils and frowned. True to his words, they all looked to be recovering from the effects of the overwhelming intent to kill them all. She was reluctant to follow upon her husband's words, but she relented and sighed. "Very well..." she said before resuming to glare at them. "However, if We find your answer unsatisfactory, consider your lives forfeit. Is that clear?"

"Y...yes, Tamamo-sama." Sona nodded, her voice cracked slightly.

Tamamo huffed and reclined in her seat, arms folded beneath her bossom. Issei let out a hefty sigh of relief. The last thing he needed to see today was a mass murder of his upperclassmen and kouhai. "S-so...how exactly did the Devils get a hold of some land in Japan?"

"After the Great War ended, all sides and races learned that they suffered more than they thought they had." Sona explained after she had taken a moment to collect herself. Rias wisely chose to allow her to explain, not wanting another repeat of what just happened. "One of the worst hit factions was the Youkai. The current leader at the time was Karasu Tengu, who chose to side with the Fallen Angels in an attempt to prove the superiority of the Shinto Faction. Near the end of the war, however, many began to voice doubts, which eventually led to a splinter cell, led by Yasaka Tamamo, the current leader of the Youkai Faction. After the war came to an end, the Youkai Faction was on the verge of civil war: Karasu Tengu wanted to continue fighting even if it meant the deaths of those under him, whereas Yasaka wanted to put an end to the fighting. As it turned out, her ideals earned her the support of the Shinto Faction and was blessed by Amaterasu. However, both groups realized that they couldn't put an end to the fighting without outside help."

"So the Youkai Faction, led by Yasaka, sought aid from another race that was badly hit." Rias added. "The Devils. They also had recently had undergone a civil war between the Old Satan Faction and the current regime, led by the Maou who usurped the descendants of the original Great Satans. In exchange for their aid in dealing with Karasu Tengu, the Devils would be allowed to have a small territory in Japan."

Tamamo frowned. "In other words...Amaterasu-sama allowed you to take these lands for your own?" she questioned, earning sharp nods from the two. "And what of the people of Nippon? Have they fallen under your sway?"

"Desires are what make up humans, whether anyone likes it or not." Sona explained as carefully as she could. "We form contracts with them in exchange for menial items and magical strength, if only so little. We Devils feed off of such desires, after all. We even offer them a chance to be reincarnated into Devils themselves."

Issei blinked. "Wait, reincarnate?" he asked, confused. "W-what does that mean?"

"As we said earlier, the Devils were also badly hurt by the Great War. We lost many great Devils, and some of the 72 Pillars, the noble houses of the Underworld, have even gone extinct with only their banners as their legacies. The Great Satan, Ajuka Beelzebub, however, came up with a solution to combat the dwindling numbers: reincarnate humans into our fold. Using Evil Pieces, they're given a second chance at whatever life they once lead."

"So...you're basically taking humans and make them into Devils to increase your numbers?" Issei asked.

"More or less. But please remember, that we give them the choice to join us. It is up to them to decide whether or not they wish to relinquish their humanity."

"And?" Tamamo leaned forward, her tone sharp like a knife. "How are they treated?"

"It depends on the one reincarnating them." Rias explained. "My household, the Gremory, treats them as family. However..."

Sona continued for Rias, her expression cold. "...there are some who still think of humans as little more than useless garbage, with only their Sacred Gear as their saving grace. The same goes for any other being who chooses to be reincarnated. We do not only accept humans to become Devils. As sad as it is to say, there are a great many in our society that use the Reincarnated Devils for personal gain, or view them was worthless. At worst, a plague to the purity of Devils."

"Purity?" Tamamo raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

"During the Great War, the Devils lost a vasty number of our Forces. Of the 72 Pillars that make the Devil Race, 39 of them have perished, their Houses extinct. While reincarnated Devils replenish our numbers, the traditionalists held them in contempt due to their non-Devil origins. Additionally, Devils have a hard time reproducing by themselves. They believe that intimately mingling with a Reincarnated Devil will only taint the purity of their bloodline."

"Then they are prideful fools." Tamamo frowned. "Their race is dwindling yet they hold reincarnated Devils in contempt. They treat them inferior and no more than tools. Yet you claim you treat your Devils well. How do I know this is not but a deception to fool us?"

The Devils winced at her words. They were scathing, almost baneful. Sona may look composed, but even she could not help but wince at such words. "I'm afraid your words are accurate. As much as I hate to say it, yes. Many Devils look down on the reincarnated. And as for proof, I cannot offer any."

The answer didn't satisfy Tamamo in the least. If anything, the dangerous look in her eyes only intensified. She looked like an animal, ready to pounce upon her prey. For a brief moment, the room's temperature began to flicker while her tail bristled, hairs standing on end while she bared her fangs. It looked as if all Hell was about to break loose.

Thankfully, the Devils had an unexpected savior.

"...I believe them."

Tamamo blinked, head slowly turning to the human boy standing next to her. "I-Ise?"

"I said," Issei Hyoudou swallowed the lump in his throat. "I believe them."

"But why?! They are Devils! Creatures of Sin and deception! They could be easily lying about everything to make us take pity on them, giving them a chance to attack us unexpected! Why would you believe creatures known only for their deceit and vile nature?"

"I don't know why." Issei answered. "But, part of me wants to believe in them, Tama-chan." The brunette looked at the fox girl, almost pleadingly. "Please. Just let it go, okay?"

Tamamo looked startled. She wanted nothing more than to wipe out the Devils in front of her, but Issei wanted to believe them. Perhaps it was just his innocence, but the way he spoke was if he sounded so sure that he was right. That there was no hesitation or wavering confidence. Looking back at the Devils, she found that they too were surprised to find a human vouching for them. She looked back at Issei, hoping to perhaps say otherwise, but all she saw was his face.

That beautiful, innocent and adorable face.

 _'That-that's...'_

Oh, that was just playing dirty. How in Yomi was she supposed to refute his claims when he gives her that look?! Ah, she couldn't take this anymore!

"MIKOOOU~!" Without warning, Tamamo's bubbly nature came back in full force, latching unto Issei and shoving his face straight into his bosom, much to his inner delight if the steam pouring out of is red face was of any indication. "You're too adorable, my Husband! Very well! I'll spare the Devils, if only because of your big, soft heart!"

The Devils in question all shared a similar look at her words. When she addressed Issei earlier in such a manner, they didn't notice it at all due to suffering from her intense aura. Now, however, they heard her loud and clear. And the reactions were...quite amusing. Koneko stared, almost slack-jawed, as if she had just heard something unbelievable. Kiba stared at the two as if they had both grown a second head. Akeno looked quite amused if the smile on her face was anything to go by. Sona's glasses drooped, showing her bulging eyes at the unabashed proclamation.

Rias' was, by far, the most amusing, as she was left a spluttering mess. "H-Husband?!"

"But of course!" Tamamo chirped happily, her tail wagging excitedly while Issei let his perverted side take over and relax in the ultimate bliss that was the Valley of the Gods he had longed to be buried in. He did note that his pants felt a bit tight, though. "A summoning is much like a marriage contract, no? Therefore, Ise-kun and I are Husband and Wife!"

"...Hyoudou-kun?" Sona asked in a quiet voice. "You're married?"

Barely registering the question, Issei nodded.

"H-how is this..." Rias palmed her forehead, spirals dancing in her eyes. "I-I don't! How?!"

Just...just how was this even possible?! Tamamo-no-Mae hasn't even been around for twenty four hours, and she's already married to Issei Hyoudou?!

Just where is the logic in this?!

* * *

With the purpose behind their meeting done and over with, Issei and Tamamo were allowed to continue roaming the halls of Kuoh, though they left a many Devils exasperated behind them. Sona was most definitely sure that she was going to be suffering quite the migraine in the coming days and made a mental note to purchase some aspirin at a later date.

Issei felt the same way, what with the stares he was receiving as he showed Tamamo around his school, the girl herself latched unto his arm and smothering the limb between her bountiful boobs.

He was the target of many envious and disbelieving stares. Envy from the male population for having such a wonderful beauty fawning over him, disbelief from the females for the very same reason.

It was understandable. He, arguably the worst of the Perverted Trio for his desires of a harem, had a beautiful girl who looked as if she were in paradise just by being with him. A girl that should not be with him. Especially a pervert like him.

The last fact was actually something that hit home for Issei. He was a pervert of the highest degree. He was a man of urges, yet here he was with a beautiful girl that loved him simply because he brought her into the world.

There were so many ways to describe this and he didn't know where to start. Should he feel lucky? Undeserving? What?

"Japan really has changed..." Tamamo marveled. "To think schools today would be built like this!"

"What were schools like back then?" He asked curiously.

"Pretty much just mud huts with sticks for roofs and stone for support. Nothing this fancy." Tamamo shrugged. She did pause for a moment before pursing her lips, a finger pushing up against them. "Though for some reason, I've felt like I've seen this sort of environment before..." She gave it a moment before shrugging again, her smile returning. "Anyway, show me what your classrooms are like!"

"O-okay! Okay! Slow down!"

Issei mentally sighed in amusement. Tamamo sure was energetic and eager. Her cheerful demeanor was quite contagious.

His perverted self felt quite lucky.

* * *

In the abandoned church, meanwhile, a pensive Dohnaseek had spent the last good half hour examining old tomes in the dusty old library that had obviously not been used in years, long before the building went out of service. Raynare was still resting in the backroom, being tended by Kalawarner around the clock. The loss of a Fallen Angel's wing was quite a serious thing for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, what they signified.

The wings of an Angel, fallen from grace or not, were a symbol of authority. Of power. The more wings they had, the higher their rank and power. The Cardinal Archangels wings were the greatest: feathery pinions that shined with lustrous golden radiance. And theirs was only surpassed by Metatron, who's wings were of the purest silver with feathers sharpened like blades. They were everything that embodied a celestial host, no question's asked.

If you were to tear off your own wings, or if someone was to tear them off...then the embodiment of power was stripped of you.

You no longer had that power, nor authority.

Raynare was lucky to lose a single wing. It was possible for her to regain it. She was the most ambitious, and those with ambition would always find a way to succeed. Especially ones as driven as she was. However, what came as consequence to those ambitions did not concern him. Were he still in Heaven with wings untainted, he might have cared about the loss of the nun that was to come here. He may have perhaps tried to prevent it. But his wings were black as night, and he had little mind to pay any attention to a girl who was betrayed by her own faith.

No, what concerned him was the fact that there was apparently a human in this city who contracted a youkai.

A human who was their mark under suspicion of harboring a Sacred Gear...and he was contracted to the Shinto Sun Goddess' most powerful incarnation. The literal Mother of Youkai.

"But that should be impossible." the celestial scholar muttered as he shut the tome closed and threw it to the ever growing pile, taking another from the shelves and opening it. "No human can call upon the dead. Not even if they bargained with a god of the dead."

Especially not a divine spirit of the likes of Tamamo-no-Mae.

Yet power cannot lie. Power is the fundamental truth of all things. And it was the power of Tamamo-no-Mae that told him that such a thing was possible. By some means, this mere human had found a way to break the laws of life and death, even going beyond that. There was no precedence for this sort of thing. Somehow, someway, he had revived a powerful divine being into the world. And one of Japanese origin at that. The closest thing one could call a god.

But how was this even possible? More importantly, what did this mean for them?

"Our orders are to eliminate Issei Hyoudou because of the threat he poses." he muttered, closing the tome and tossing it to the same pile he threw the previous book and took another one from the shelf. "Yet how can we come close to him if he has the incarnation of Amaterasu, one of the Three Rulers of Takamagahara, at his side?"

Yet they still needed to act. They needed to deal with the boy somehow.

Dohnaseek sighed. He eventually gave up looking for any answers and, rather than throw the book into the pile, he set it down on the table next to him and pinched the bridge of his nose.

It was a horrible situation they were in. It may as well be the same being in the middle of a creak without a paddle or gear needed to swim ashore. How the hell were they supposed to deal with this situation? There were so many variables it was hard to think properly. "Dohnaseek." a child-like voice called from outside the room. "You in here?"

"I am, Mittelt." he responded as his fellow Fallen entered. "How is Raynare?"

"In a word? Fucked. She's missing a wing, and she's still suffering from hypothermia. She was damn near frozen solid when she came back, old man." Mittelt told him crudely with a frown. "What the hell are we supposed to do? Azazel-sama told us we were supposed to kill that brat, and now he went and summoned a freaking Divine Spirit!"

"I'm aware of that."

"Then what are we supposed to do? Aren't you the brains of this outfit?!"

"That is why I am thinking!" He snapped back in irritation. It was up to him to figure out how to complete this mission without running into a battle that would surely kill them. They boy had summoned a Divine Spirit, who would no doubt be present around him at all times. And given her identity, sniping the boy from afar was unlikely to work as she could detect their presences.

He loved the idea of battle. Yes, he was willing to admit that he was something of a battle maniac, but knowing how the battle will play out was crucial. He could not rush in half-cocked.

Trying to find a way to touch Issei Hyoudou was going to be a challenge. Their only opportunity would be when he was alone. But what was there to do in this situation?

 _'How troublesome...'_

* * *

Classes had been so awkward, if only because of Tamamo's insistance that she attend to them as well. Issei, for his part, wasn't sure what to do or if that was even entirely possible. Thankfully, his rescue came in the form of Sona, who had taken a few liberties to provide his apparent wife with a guest card. It was valid only for a week, but it would be enough to satiate the woman's curiosity about school life.

The only downside was the downright murderous glares he was receiving from his fellow males and the uncomfortable stares from the less hostile ones. The girls gave him suspicious to downright accusing glares. Add to the whispers floating around, and Issei was beginning to realize just how bad of an idea it was to bring her here. The attention he was receiving was not the kind he expected to happen nor was the reaction something he was comfortable with. He really just wanted to bury his head in a hole and never pull it out.

 _'Dammit! This totally sucks!'_

Why did this have to happen to him?! He realize he was a pervert but...no, wait, never mind. That was probably the reason. It seems this was karma's way of paying him back.

"Ara, ara, Hyoudou-kun...I never knew you had some kind of swagger if you scored a hottie like that."

Issei felt a chill run down his back as the voice crept into his ear. _'Only one fiend can do this to me.'_ he realized as he slowly looked over his shoulder.

It was Aika, a lecherous grin present on her face with eyes twinkling with amusement.

"You must've been holding out on us." The bespectacled gestured to Tamamo, who was looking around the room in curiosity. "Never realized you had it in you."

 _'Oh dear sweet Kami._ ' he silently begged the gods to end whatever embarrassing torture this she devil was going to put him through. _'Please. Not today. I've had all I can take of heart attacks.'_

"So, have you lost your v card yet?"

"Sh-shut up!" He yelped, recalling what could've potentially happened last night before passing out. His shout came out louder than he wanted. Thankfully, the teacher didn't notice, though it did earn him a few odd stares. Grimacing, he glared back at Aika. "A-and whether or not I lost my virginity is none of your business, Kiryu!"

"So you haven't lost it?" Aika questioned with a frown of disappointment. "That's a shame. Especially considering what sort of heat your packing."

"Will you stop scanning me?!" he hissed, face red.

"I can...but I won't. It's too much fun~" Jan 30He scowled. Damn this woman! He was not used to this at all! "I will say this, though~" Aika grinned. "Once you do lose your v card, that foxy lady back there is going to break~"

Sadly, such words only brought his perverted side to the surface. The erotic image of Tamamo, naked as the day she was born, below him while he was above her, hip between her legs and she with a face that could only be described as nirvana. His face burned crimson. It took all of his willpower not to have a nosebleed. That image would have come to life had he not been such a novice when faced by the art of seduction. The mere memory of last night, a scene that he has only seen happen in his eroge games, brought a jolt of electricity down his spine.

Tamamo truly had no idea what she did to him.

"Pft, looks like you're already imagining it." She teased.

"S-shut up." he weakly retorted.

Maybe, just maybe...Tamamo would actually be up for that? So long as she was willing, of course! He didn't want to force her into anything she didn't want! Wait, hold on. Isn't sex a bit too fast? Wouldn't it better if he "tests the waters" so to speak? Dammit, what do married couples do in the first place? Should he ask his parents?

...somehow, that felt like a very, VERY bad idea.

Issei sighed and drooped his head. Ever since he met Yuma Amano, his life had become so complicated.

 _'Yuma-chan...'_

The name had brought forth a bitter aftertaste along with a great deal of pain. The first girl he liked and dated...ended up being a cold hearted bitch who merely toyed him for amusement before trying to kill him.

It stung. It stung a lot.

The first date he ever had was the best feeling he could have ever experienced. It all seemed so surreal. Like a dream. It may as well have been, what with the aftermath. Every time he thought of Yuma and their date, the image always changed to her cold sneer of indifference and sadistic pleasure, black wings.

Oh god...those wings. Those jet black, feathery wings...!

"... _dou-kun_? Hyoudou-kun!"

Issei snapped out of reality, jolting straight up in a straight line. His chair scraped against the floor as it clattered to the floor. Everyone was staring at him, a few in concern and the rest in confusion. Tamamo looked on worriedly and in concern, gaze tender. From the other side of the room, Motohama and Matsuda, who were among the vengeful stares, couldn't help but look at him in concern either. The teacher was staring at him too.

It took him a moment to realize that his heart was hammering against his chest and sweat was pouring down his skin like a waterfall.

"Are...are you alright, Hyoudou-kun?" The teacher asked him. "Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"

Issei opened his mouth, but he found his throat dry and hoarse. Instead, he could only offer a lame nod.

Had Yuma truly affected him so much...?

* * *

Once school had finished and Issei returned home, Tamamo next to him and holding to him gently like a lover would, Sona and Rias had met as per usual. It was Wednesday, meaning that they would be having another meeting to discuss the recent activities in their territory as well as discern other issues such as contracts. Being two lords sharing a territory, they had to decide what workload went to who and what contracts they would distribute to their peerages.

Compared to usual, the atmosphere was tense.

"I hear Hyoudou-kun suffered a breakdown in class." Rias said as she sipped her tea with a look of concern. "They said he was unresponsive for three minutes, even when the teacher called on him. Skin sweaty, eyes dialated."

"Textbook symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder." Sona remarked with a frown. "Not unexpected, given that he was nearly killed yesterday. And I doubt that it will be the only attempt."

"You think the Fallen Angels will attempt again? Hyoudou-kun summoned the closest thing you can get to a goddess, and she's all but declared him her husband. You'd have a death wish to try and continue a hit on his life."

"Maybe so. But I wouldn't put it outside the realm of possibility." Sona answered. "However foolish the idea is. Though I am still a bit skeptical about who she says she is."

Rias raised an eyebrow. "Even after what we felt today?"

"Yes. Even though she is a Divine Spirit, something felt off."

"How do you mean?"

"Rias, what do you know about Divine Spirits?" Sona asked.

"I understand that they are the highest ranked Nature Spirits and remnants of Gods. Why?"

"In the case of Tamamo-no-Mae, it would be no exaggeration to say that she is, without question, the most powerful youkai that has ever existed." Sona stated evenly. "Even the current leader of the Youkai Faction, Yasaka, isn't that powerful, even though she is an emissary of Amaterasu. Tamamo-no-Mae was powerful because she wasn't simply a kitsune, much less a nine-tailed fox. She was powerful because she was a piece of Amaterasu. An incarnation of a god. A fragment, so to speak. One might say she is the literal definition of a Divine Spirit." She paused briefly, taking a small drink of her tea, before she continued. "However, because of that nature, when she died, she would have rejoined Amaterasu and become apart of her once again. If, somehow, she was revived, wouldn't that also mean she would have all the knowledge that Amaterasu has as well?"

Rias pursed her lips, tilting her head. "Hm...you make a sound argument." she conceded. "And in the end, we have no way of actually confirming whether or not she truly is Tamamo-no-Mae. However, the point that she's powerful still stands."

The overwhelming killing intent that flooded the room earlier today was proof of that.

"Also, Koneko herself can attest to her identity, especially given that she's Nekoshou."

"I know. Koneko wouldn't be able to mistake that power belonging to someone else. She'd be able to sense it."

And to a Nekoshou, power did not lie. If anyone could recognize or identify Tamamo-no-Mae for who she was, even if they have never met before, it would be here.

Yet Sona remained still unconvinced.

There was just...a discrepancy in the power expected. While she experienced Tamamo-no-Mae's strength first hand, it was a far cry from what she truly expected.

Don't get her wrong, such power was most definitely belonging to that of a god, or at least an incarnation of one. If she were to compare it, it was of a far stronger magnitude than her own sister's power. There was a reason why Serafall was named "Leviathan." But something about Tamamo's power, however unadulterated and raw, felt...strange. She couldn't quite put it into words, but it seemed off somehow.

Then again, perhaps she's just paranoid. Especially with everything that's been happening lately. With the Fallen Angels occupying Kuoh, and currently unaware of their plans, she had been on edge recently.

And Issei Hyoudou summoning Amaterasu's Incarnation despite possessing an average background did not help matters.

Everything was happening far too fast for her own liking. And wherever this chaotic freight train was heading, the resulting crash wasn't going to be pretty.

Sona eventually sighed. "I wonder if this is how the Maou feel, dealing with troublesome situations that happen in their respective fields."

"Probably." Rias joined her woes. "Onii-sama sends me letters and complaints about his job and how Grayfia-nee has him working like a dog."

"Ah. So the same as my onee-sama sending me letters, trying to convince me to join her in her magical girl setup?"

"Yeeeep."

* * *

When Issei and Tamamo returned to the Hyoudou Family home, the brunette was the first to notice that something was amiss. Namely, the fact that his parents, his father at the table and his mother in the kitchen with dinner currently in the middle of being cooked, were nowhere to be found. He tried looking first in the master bedroom, but came up empty. A quick search in the backyard also yielded nothing.

Then he found a sticky note attached to his fridge. One with a rather...embarrassing and infuriating note from his parents.

"Damn it, you two!" he growled, cheeks flushed. "I know you want grandkids, but I'm still in high school!"

He crumpled the note in his hand. Seriously! Just what were his parents thinking?! He was only 17! How the hell could he support a family?! Sure he was perverted...but he knew common sense to use protection! Sure, the idea of him being alone with Tamamo was enticing, but they could have at least consulted with him first!

More importantly, when the hell did they even get the money to go on a vacation?! Had they been saving up?!

He looked back at the note, which had detailed how they had left to go on vacation as he mentioned earlier, thus leaving him in Tamamo's care, and then found his eyebrow twitching.

 _ **'Don't make too much noise for the neighbors to complain! -Momma'**_

"...I know there are perks to being a pervert, but for the love Kami, mom...!"

"Eh?" Tamamo tilted her head as she emerged from the kitchen, back in her natural attire and form with an apron in hand. "What's the matter, darling?"

"Nothing!" Issei hid the crumpled note behind him. "Nothing at all!"

He didn't want Tamamo to get any ideas. If she did...he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle her at all during the time his parents would be gone. Especially if Aika's words were to come true. As much as he would have LOVED to be in an actual H-scene, he didn't think his heart was ready for that sort of thing yet.

One could hope for the future, though...

* * *

A few hours later, the brunette had left his home while Tamamo worked in the kitchen, promising to fix him a very special dinner. The only problem was that there wasn't enough foods in the fridge, hence his run to the convenience store. It was already nighttime, so the street lamps were lit up and lighting the path.

If anything, though, it made an already creepy atmosphere more terrifying. Somehow, the headache came back in full force, and with it, a sense of wrongness in the air. 'Damn, my head feels like its being beaten like a drum.' Issei groused, rubbing his temples. 'What's with me lately? Why won't this headache just go away?'

"So, you are the human who summoned the Sun Goddess' Avatar."

Issei froze and turned around. Behind him, standing far away from him, was a man dressed in a fine suit and trench coat, his head covered mostly by the wide brim of his fedora. Beneath the shadows of the hat were a pair of piercing eyes. He could faintly make out a beard along the man's chin as well. There was nothing out of the ordinary about him, yet somehow, his presence brought Issei unease. His headache, in response to the presence of this man, seemed to only grow worse.

"It's strange. You don't seem to be anything special, yet you summoned an incarnation of the sun goddess." The man spoke.

"I don't feel a speck of magical power from yet, nor even the faintest presence of a Sacred Gear. You seem to be an ordinary human..."

The man took a step forward. In fright, Issei took a step back, trying to calm down the writhing pain in his skull.

"...yet there's obviously something different about you. I would have loved to discuss how you managed to accomplish what you did, but I'm afraid orders are orders."

Then his world went cold when two jet black wings unfurled from his back, wreathed in feathers. Suddenly, the man's image became replaced by that of Yuma's own, her beautiful face staring down at him with disgust and sadistic pleasure.

Issei felt his chest constrict. His pupils dilated. He broke out in cold sweat. Oh god, it was happening again! His feet were rooted to the ground. His heart was ramming against his chest. He couldn't breath.

"Oh? Cold feet, have we? Don't worry, it will be over soon."

The man extended a hand, fingers stretched out and collecting light in the palm of his hand. The light then formed into a long spear, not too dissimilar to the one carried by Raynare. The same spear she was going to use to kill him.

 _'Oh god oh god ohgodimgoingtodieimgoingtodieidontwannadieidontwannade!'_

He wanted to run. But his feel remained rooted to the ground. He was going to die! The man's eyes narrowed as he reared his arm back. "Die!"

He then threw it. The wind whistled. In a second, it would pierce his heart and he'd be left dead on the floor, blood pooling beneath him. The fact registered within Issei as he stared, helpless and barely able to recognize the fact that he wasn't able to do anything. Fear had left him bound. Everything would be over in a second.

...if not for an ironic divine intervention in the form of the one thing he hated: that damn handsome.

"What?!"

The wind danced as a sword wreathed in shadows intercepted the spear, reducting it to mere fragments that soon became devoured by the shadows. The man scowled while Issei found his legs drained of their strength, falling flat on his rear. In front of him was none other than Yuto Kiba, the unusual sword in hand and standing firmly between him and the winged man - the Fallen Angel. "I didn't expect to find this in my midnight stroll." he remarked whimsically before he looked at Issei, a hint of a smile on his face. "Are you hurt anywhere, Hyoudou-kun?"

"H-huh? What? Wha-what?!" Issei found himself barely able to speak. His throat was struggling with a lump.

"You...!" the Fallen growled. "You're a Devil. Who are you?!"

Kiba turned back to the man, his smile never fading. "What would you like to know about me?" he asked, his tone oddly polite in spite of the fact that he was facing against a man who had tried to kill Issei earlier. "My name? My history? Or, perhaps...my prowess with a sword?"

"Are you a stray or not?" The man questioned as he made another spear.

"I am not. I am a proud Knight of Rias Gremory." Kiba answered, falling into a stance. "And while I understand you have your orders, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave at once. This is Gremory Territory. And therefore, all humans are under my Master's juristiction. If you continue to attempt to kill Hyoudou-kun, I'm afraid my Master will consider this as an act of aggression and in clear violation of the ceasefire."

"...I see then." The man dispersed the spear in his hand. "Then please pardon my actions. I shall be taking my leave." Issei blinked. Once. Twice. Then his jaw dropped. 'Wait, that's it?!' After nearly giving him a goddamn heart attack...he was just gonna leave?! "Unlike Raynare, I'm not foolish enough to try and start a fight. Especially given WHO Rias Gremory is." The man bowed his head. "I am Dohnaseek. A former Principality." His eyes then settled on Issei, and narrowed sharply like those of a hawk. "You'd best pray we never meet again, boy..."

With a beat of his wings, the man was in the air. In moments, he was out of sight. Kiba let out a small sigh as he flicked his wrist, leaving Issei to watch as the sword dissipated into motes of light. "That was close." he muttered with relief. "I hoped that I wouldn't have to fight him. Thankfully, he's a reasonable one." He then turned back to Issei and smiled, bending down and offering a hand. "Are you alright. Hyoudou-kun?"

"P-possibly..." Issei responded, grasping Kiba's hand with a shaking arm. "God...I thought I was gonna die."

"Well, thankfully, you aren't. You should be more careful, though, Hyoudou-kun. If they're targeting you, you should stay as close to Tamamo-no-Mae-sama as possible."

"E-eh?"

"It's the most rational thing to do. As you've experienced, the Fallen are targeting you. It would be best to have Tamamo-no-Mae-sama with you at all times to deter them from attacking." Kiba explained. "After all, who better to be your bodyguard than an emissary of a Shinto God?"

Issei couldn't really argue with that. But he didn't really want to burden Tamamo with his problems like this. Then again, he probably didn't have much choice in the matter. As much as he didn't like the idea, he didn't really have much choice in this situation. Especially after what just happened. "...thanks for savin' my ass back there." Issei said. "Even if you are a bishounen bastard."

Kiba tilted his head. "I'm...not sure what me being a bishounen has anything to do with this, but you're welcome." With a bow, Kiba turned on his heel to leave. Issei watched him go, staring at his back. Strangely, he could see the faint outlines of pinions, stretching out from his shoulderblades.

'Now that I think about it, I saw wings in his and Kaichou's shadows the other day.' Issei thought. 'I wonder why?' He wanted to think on it, but he shook his head, picking up the discarded back of groceries. He didn't have time to be thinking about that. He just really needed to go home. Fast as possible.

Back to his _wife_.

"...god does that sound so sexy and weird at the same time."

* * *

Night 3: END

* * *

Next Time!

?: U-um, excuse me! Do you know where I can find the church?

Issei: P-pure white...!

Tamamo: ...why do I feel threatened around this nun?

Raynare: Hand over Asia, or you die here.

 **Night 4: Woes of a Sister**

Akeno: Ufufu~ To be Continued, it seems. Stay tuned, you naughty boys and girls~!

* * *

Author's Notes: ...two hundred reviews. Over TWO HUNDRED reviews, and we are only on Chapter 2.

Had I not known any better, I would have thought that Lelouch vi Britannia had come here and Geassed everyone to read and review this story. Damn what a reception! Even my Fate/stay night: Dragon of Dragons story didn't have it like this! Is the idea of Issei having Heaven's Feel and having Tamamo as his wife really that fantasizing?

Anyway, I'm sorry for the late chapter and the short length. However, the reason why it is so short is because I'm prepping up for the Holy Maiden Arc. And by that, I mean Issei is going to summon a new Heroic Spirit! I won't say who, though. My lips are sealed. What I can say, however, is that the Servant won't be summoned in the battle against Raynare. They will be called after the fact.

Also, a lot of people seem to have a misconception with me. I am, in no way, purposely bashing on the Devils or on Rias. Yes, a majority of Devils are complete and utter scumbags (looking at you Diodara and Old Satan fuckers), but I don't entirely hate them. Hell, I'm not even a supporter of the whole "Rias let Issei die to get a new Servant" theory. I like to view things in a more optimistic light. I would use that theory for a more dramatic story and theme in another fic, but I wouldn't put any stock in it. But that's irrelevant. In any case, I'm not bashing on the Devils. Tamamo's reaction to this world's Japan situation is enough to piss her off.

Secondly, a lot of people still seem confused, so I'll clarify again.

 _ **Issei. Is. Not. Summoning. Servants. He. Is. Summoning. Heroic. Spirits. Legendary Souls from the Throne of Heroes!**_

Get the picture Franny?

Thirdly, and finally, I ALREADY KNOW WHAT HS ISSEI WILL BE CALLING ON! Quit sending me suggestions! No matter how much you beg and plead, my roster is fixed and set and lined up! I am NOT making any changes!

With that out of the way...who here wants to bet that either Rias kills Raynare first by ripping her apart with the Power of Destruction, or Tamamo takes it a step up further and has a re-enactment of "Icarus?"

With that said, I am out of here! If you enjoyed the chapter, please tell me your thoughts in the reviews below, and I will see you mofos in the next chapter!


	4. Night 4

_...so, by now, I don't think I have to tell you how crazy my life has become. But, in case you still don't know. Let me introduce myself._

 _My name is Issei Hyoudou. I'm your average, healthy teenage pervert. Well, at least I was until my ex-girlfriend turned out to be a Fallen Angel sent to kill me. How am I alive? Turns out I somehow summoned Tamamo-no-Mae. You know, the Avatar of the Sun Goddess of apa?_

 _Oh, did I forget to mention that she's also my wife?_

 _Not too long after the fact, I learned that the supernatural actually does exist! Worse, my senpai are all demons! Mou!~ What kind of life is waiting for me now?!_

I'm curious about that as well. I suppose we're about to find out in Chapter 4, Hyoudou-kun.

 _EH?! WHEN'D YOU GET HERE, YOU DAMN BISHOUNEN BASTARD?!_

* * *

 **High School DxD x Fate/stay night Crossover:**

 **"Fate/stay night: The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven**

* * *

 ** _Night 4: Woes of a Sister_**

"Those damn crows tried attacking you again?!"

Issei cringed at Tamamo's furious shout, though more towards her furious expression. It was the face of a predator that had just been slapped in the face in the most humiliating way. Hell, even her tail was bushed up and swinging around in fury.

"C-calm down, Tama-chan."

"Calm down?!" Tamamo grounded her teeth as she clenched a fist. "How can I?! I'm supposed to be your loving wife, and yet I wasn't there when those filthy crows tried to take your life! Worse, you were saved by that servant of the Gremory wench! This is a blemish to my reputation as the best wife in Japan!"

 _'Best wife...?'_ Issei pondered. _'How exactly did she come to that? Well, actually, she isn't wrong. She's got a killer body! Not to mention what she does to me... No, wait! Now isn't the time to perv!'_

"I-I'm fine, Tama-chan! I mean, look! Seriously! Besides, how were you supposed to know that a Fallen Angel was after me?"

"I didn't! That's the problem! I never should've left your side!" She screamed in aggravation. Her eyes grew teary. "I'm a failure as a wife!"

"N-No you're not! P-please calm down!" He tried his best to put the foxy girl at ease, though it seemed that Tamamo was still upset in spite of his assurances. He really didn't know how to handle these types of things. Then again, he had never been married and his interactions with girls outside his mother were pretty much zero. That and he's never encountered a girl so determined and so open about her desires. Well, aside from Aika Kiryuu, but he refused to believe that she could count. She was a demon. "C'mon, cheer up. Please?" Issei quietly begged once Tamamo's anger had vanished, leaving her only a pouting mess. "Seriously. It wasn't your fault. Besides, I'm alive, aren't I?"

"But I still should've been there! You never would've been threatened in the first place..." She pouted. "I'm a failure. Not only as a wife, but also as some Heroic Spirit..."

The brunette put on a face, wondering what a "Heroic Spirit" was before putting it out of his mind. There had to be a way to remedy this somehow, right? Issei put a knuckle to his temple, wondering how he could convince Tamamo when an idea came to mind. An idea that brought a blush to his face. Wait, why a blush? What was he, a school girl? This was nothing new. He's thought of doing this for years! Plus more! Yet the idea of actually going through with it, and with a girl who was willing to put up with his perversions and cross the line with him, somehow put him on edge.

 _'C'mon, Ise! Prove your manhood! You're apparently already married now, so go through with it!'_ Chibi-Issei shouted, waving the flag. Issei sucked in his breath, calming his head before nodding to himself.

"Tama-chan."

The girl looked up at him, half-expecting him to try and tell her it wasn't her fault he got attacked again, as any good husband would tell her. Instead, he did something that surprised her.

He kissed her, albeit chastely and lightly, on the lips.

It was a quick kiss. He didn't have the guts to go for a complete, long one. He was flustered enough as is.

Fortunately though, it did the trick.

As he pulled back, Tamamo looked positively dazed. As if she wasn't entirely sure what just happened. "I know you blame yourself for what happened, but dammit, would you please listen to me?" he asked as sternly as he good, slipping into the role of 'husband.' "I mean, I know I'm no good, but you have to stop beating yourself up. If not for yourself, then for me? Please?"

Tamamo was silent at first. Issei worried that maybe he screwed up with the kiss. Was it maybe too early for that? Then Tamamo surprised him when she cupped his face and pulled his face towards hers. Moments later, their lips mashed together and-

 _'F-FRENCH?!'_

His mind short-circuited. But he felt the sensation of a tongue invading his mouth and playing with his. The feeling was surreal, not to mention mind-blowingly arousing. Still lip-locked, Tatamo pushed him to the sofa. Upon landing on his back, Tamamo deepened the kiss and wrapped her hands around his head, her tongue diving even further. Her leg also pressed into his groan, rubbing right against his already erect member. Steam was pouring out of Issei's ears, pupils spiraling around. He could feel Tamamo's bountiful mounds rubbing up against his chest. He could even feel how soft, yet firm they were beneath the thin layers of clothes between them!

Eventually, Tamamo broke the kiss, leaving behind a thin trail of saliva. Issei, for his part, was still slightly coherent yet left a miserable, unintelligable mess. "Wha-what...?"

"I didn't think you wanted to consumate our marriage so early, Ise-kun~" Tamamo purred, her personality a complete 180 as her tail flicked about. "But, if this is your way of cheering me up for my blunder, I humbly accept your offer~ Now then, darling..." She licked her lips, leaning forward to the point their noses were touching. "...shall I send you to heaven~?"

Issei's imagination was left to run wild. Aika's words from today were most certainly not helping matters. As his imagination run its course, imagining himself ravaging Tamamo to his hearts content and marking her, he could only do one thing.

And that was pass out with a massive nosebleed, goofy grin marring his face.

"E-eh?! Again?!"

* * *

"...fucking hell, marriage life is complicated..." Issei muttered to himself as he made his way to Kuoh Academy, hands in his pockets with a dazed expression on his face. "On the one hand, I've got a smokin' girlfriend back home waiting for me and offering to take my virginity. On the other hand, its moving way too damn fast for me to keep up! Is-is this how a marriage starts? When did my life become some kind of eroge?"

"ISE!"

The brunette blinked, turning around just in time to see Motohama and Matsuda barreling down upon him, fists raised. "...oh, crap."

"YOU FUCK!"

Issei's face, meet fist. Issei's body, meet concrete. He felt blinding pain soon after. It eventually subsided as he sat upright, glaring at his two glaring friends. "The fuck was that for, guys?!" He nursed his bruised cheek and nose.

"FOR DOUBLE-TIMING US!" Matsuda roared, tears falling from his cheeks. "THE FUCK, MAN?!"

"DOUBLE THAT!" Motohama snarled, grabbing Issei by the collar and pulling him up to his feet. That was surprising, to be honest. Who knew Motohama was that strong for a string bean? "WHEN THE FUCK DID YOU SCORE A BABE THAT HOT?! WHO IS SHE?!"

"Wh-what? You mean Yuuma-chan?" Issei questioned dumbly, referring to Tamamo's alias.

"WHO ELSE WOULD WE BE TALKING ABOUT YOU BASTARD?!"

"Where did she come from?! Where the hell did you even score a chick like that?!"

Issei could say so many things to that. Nearly being killed by his ex-girlfriend (did she even really count as an ex, though? Now that he thought about it, they never really actually confessed to dating, did they?) for starters. Instead, he felt a surge of pride swell in his chest, namely due to the fact that he got to experience things that he was definitely sure that neither Motohama or Matsuda had yet to experience. They slowly became unnerved when they saw the smug grin on his face as he pried Motohama's hands from his collar.

"...boys." he said slowly as he reveled in their looks of disbelief and horror by his next words. "Have you ever felt what it's like to get Frenched?"

* * *

If there was a happy moment in Issei's life, it had soon been put out when classes had reached an end. He was just about to head to his usual spot when he soon discovered a familiar face from last night entering his classroom. He didn't even need to see who it was, since the shrill screams of delight from every female student in the classroom gave it away.

"Hyoudou-kun." the bishounen bastard that was Yuuto Kiba greeted with a grin, ignoring the star-dazzled looks of the girls around him. "Are you free right now?"

"I guess. Why?"

"Would you care to join me for lunch?" At this, Issei balked and stared at the guy as if he were insane. A feeling that was shared by the majority of the class, given their disbelieving looks at his ludicrous suggestion. Seeing his expression, Yuuto laughed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. "You see, Akeno-san prepared a bit too much for me, so I was hoping to share it with someone. I invited Koneko-chan as well, if it is of any consolation."

The brunette frowned deeply, crossing his arms in thoughts. On the one hand, he'd sooner jump off a bridge than spend time with this damned handsome. On the other hand though, he'd get to spend some time with the famed mascot of the school. Then again, on the third hand, both of the students were also Devils under Rias Gremory. In truth, though, he was a bit curious about what they were like. Were they immortal or something, since they weren't human? Did they age? How old were they? At that thought, he briefly wondered if that would possibly make Koneko a legal loli before he shook his head.

As much as he loved that particular fetish, lolis were more Matsuda's territory.

After a minute, Issei shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, what the hell? Why not?" he said as he stood up. Yuuto's smile grew before Issei raised a hand. "Let me make this clear. I reiterate what I said last night. I. Do not. Like you. The only reason I'm accepting your offer is because I get to spend time with Koneko-chan."

"Even though you already have Tamamo-sama?" Yuuto smirked back, causing Issei to blush madly.

" _U-urusai_!"

Meanwhile, the girls were having a field day. As they left the classroom, they erupted into hush whispers of excitement.

"D-did you hear that?!"

"Kiba-sama and that perverted Hyoudou-kun, together?!"

"Y-Y-You don't think it might be Hyoudou/Kiba, do you?!"

"No! It can't be! I refuse to accept that pairing!"

"Wait, hold on! What if it's Kiba/Hyoudou?!"

"I SHIP IT!"

Unknown to them, Yuuto had heard every word as they left. Needless to say, he felt exasperated. _'Good grief. I'm simply inviting Hyoudou-kun with me because Buchou asked me to keep an eye on him. Still, I hope none of this gets back to Akeno-senpai, otherwise she'll have a field day with me.'_

Isse on the other hand, also heard their remarks. Suffice to say, he was not pleased. _'Okay, what the hell?! Why the fuck are they shipping us?! I don't swing that way, dammit!'_

And even if he did, he sure as hell wasn't interested in a bishounen bastard that deserved to die. Thankfully, the whispers soon faded away as he followed Yuuto to the rooftop. Upon arrival, he found Koneko Toujou herself already waiting for them.

"You're late..." She said simply after looking up. She noticed Issei's presence as well, though if she made any notification that she was alarmed, she didn't show. Instead, she nodded her head to him. "...Hentai-senpai."

Issei gawked. "H-Hentai-senpai?" he questioned, clearly taken aback. "Where'd that one come from?"

"...you're a pervert." She answered simply.

Issei slumped over in dejection. Who knew a remark like that from his kouhai hurt so much? Especially from Koneko Toujou. Still, she wasn't wrong. He prided himself in his pervert status, after all.

"Now now, Koneko-chan." Yuuto chided her gently as he held up his lunch box. "I invited Hyoudou-kun here. Least you can do is show him some courtesy." Koneko simply gave the two boys a flat stare before shrugging, going back to snacking on the cookie in her mouth. The boys then took their seats around the girl, sitting in a circle of sorts as the blonde opened up the box. Immediately, Issei smelled something wonderful invading his nostrils. Looking at the box, he felt a lump of saliva roll down his throat and his mouth flood, practically drooling over the beautiful presentation of food inside. "Let's eat."

"...damn." he said absent-mindedly. "On top of being a handsome bastard, you can cook too?"

"Oh, no. I didn't make this. Akeno-san did." Yuuto told him as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "As sad as it is to admit, I'm afraid I can't cook to save my life."

"Really, now?" At least now he found a weakness with the Bishounen bastard. He can't cook! Wait till his fans hear this...scratch that. They would probably find some way to make a positive spin to it and make him even more popular, dammit!

It was like every negative thing would be positive in their eyes! Actually, now that he thought about it...wasn't it kind of the same with him and Tamamo? She knew he was a pervert, yet she still came onto him like crazy. He could still smell her sweet sent from last night when she locked lips with him and gave him his first taste of what a real tongue was like. Never once did he believe he would ever get to experience what it was like to be Frenched. And he was damn sure that no girl could kiss like Tamamo.

Was-was this what it was like to being married? If so, then suddenly, he envied his father and every other married man. On the other hand, said self-proclaimed wife that earned his parents' approval was also the incarnation of the Japanese Sun Goddess, so his relationship was more than weird.

Then again, he was spending his lunch with Devils. Speaking of which...

"...if you guys don't mind me asking, how'd you end up being Devils?" he asked out of pure curiosity. "I mean, unless of course you were born Devils!"

Yuuto chuckled. "I wondered when that questions would be brought up. To answer, Koneko-chan and myself are Reincarnated. As far as I know, the only Pureblood Devils are Buchou and Sitri-Kaichou." Oh, right. The student council president was also a Devil as well. He completely forgot about that. Well, at least now he knew that his comparisons to the Devil were spot-on! She was a literal demon. "As for how we became Devils...that isn't something we're comfortable telling anyone just yet."

"O-oh."

"I will say this, however." the blonde paused briefly, taking a bite out of the bread Akeno had prepared for him and gulping it down after a thorough chewing. "We owe everything to Buchou for reincarnating us. If it weren't for her..." He trailed off, leaving a faint implication of how life must have been. Not that Issei could understand or imagine. Especially given that it was the damned handsome bastard and the cute loli mascot. "At any rate... Are you going to eat? Can't let this food go to waste, after all."

"R-right! Thank you for this meal!"

He took his portion of the food and tasted it. His mouth was filled with bliss. Granted it wasn't as good as the food that Tamamo made, but it was still pretty delicious.

* * *

"You let him get away?!"

When Raynare had been made aware of the recent turn of events regarding Dohnaseek's encounter with Issei Hyoudou and his subsequent failure in ending his life, she was most definitely not happy. The fury in her eyes was enough to make even someone as sadistic as Mittelt nervous as she stepped back, easing behind a half-broken bench.

"He was under the protection of someone from the Gremory Family." Dohnaseek replied coolly as he lit a cigarette in his mouth. He wasn't a smoker, per say. Rather, he simply enjoyed the foul taste and fumes the little thing gave his mouth. A reminder, however cruel, that he was no longer among his brothers and sisters in the pearly white gates far above this rock. "And in case you have forgotten, the Princess of Ruin is the younger sister of Lucifer. I am many things, but I am not suicidal."

"Did you forget the reason why we're here?!" Raynare demanded as she attempted to grab him, only to let out a grimace and a pitiful whine - a sound that she detested and loathed with all of her heart - at the sudden movement. She wasn't fully recovered from her run-in with Tamamo. She hadn't even regained her wing yet. "Azazel-sama told us to kill him! I don't give a damn about that princess!"

Kalawarner frowned, folding her arms. "Raynare, be reasonable." she chastised her companion. "Think for a moment. We're in Devil Territory. One wrong move and we spark another Great War. Which, in case you have forgotten, we are not prepared to go through again. We're still recovering from the effects. Our numbers are just as low as the Devils, if not worse. If we spark a war, we become extinct. We have to be smart about this."

"What Kalawarner said." Dohnaskeek smiled thinly, taking in the sight of Raynare's fuming expression at being talked down to like a child. "Also, he is under the protection of Tamamo-no-Mae. Between her and the Red Princess, any fool who tries to take his life has a death wish. Unless, of course, you have a way to get him alone. Which you do not, considering you can no longer pose as Yuma Amano."

"Are you making fun of me, you bastard?!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just stating facts. You had several ways of going about your plan, but instead you chose to be idiotic. And you tried to start a fight you had no chance of winning. If anything, I am insulted that I have to work under a woman who has no smarts whatsoever."

Raynare's face twisted. It was ugly, unfitting for even the most beautiful of Angels, fallen or not. "You son of a-!"

"Alright, that's enough." Kalawarner interjected before the two decided to kill each other. "We all know that Raynare's plan had kinks to work out, but in her defense, none of us ever expected Amaterasu's Avatar to descend and help the boy."

Raynare gritted her teeth, obviously still angry over Dohnaseek's remarks. "I don't care how we do it!" she hissed. "I want that boy dead!"

"And we will." Kalawarner told her. "In the meantime, let's focus on getting the girl's Sacred Gear. What was her name?"

Dohnaseek grimaced. "Asia Argento. The Holy Maiden of the Protestant Church."

* * *

"So, what's this I hear about you hanging out with the resident Prince of Kuoh? Ooh, wait, don't tell me! Have you finally decided to trade your love of breasts for boy love?!"

"God dammit, Aika!" Issei exclaimed in irritation. Ever since word got out that he wasn't hanging out with Yuuto during lunch, pretty much the whole school(fangirls) thinks he and him are a pairing! Seriously! What is wrong with them!?

And Aika being included in that population didn't help things! It's even worse as she's a person he's acquainted with, so she has liberties in teasing him with this! The only good thing was that she hadn't made any inqueries or jokes about him and Tamamo or his Ise Jr. Those were the last things he needed right now. On that note, "Why are you following me?"

"I'm not. We're simply just following the same path to home is all." Aika responded with a grin, tilting her head while he turned his away with a scowl. "Do you not enjoy my company? I'm rather hurt, Ise-kun~"

"D-don't call me that! It's creepy as hell!"

"But aren't we good friends?"

"You know we're only acquaintances at best, Kiryuu..." He reminded her.

And that was just putting it mildly. They had pretty much known each other since last year. And since then, she's been an utter bane to his existence. Honestly, at first, it was very bizarre. Meeting a girl so perverted. Don't get him wrong, Aika was cute in her own little way and was easy on the eyes, but her personality was just so out of left field that she was constantly thrown him for a loop. He could never prepare himself for her!

...didn't stop him from sneaking a few peeks at her ass, though. He was more of a boobs man, but damn if she didn't have a nice round bumper.

"Ara? Thinking about my ass when you have that sexy little fox back home?" Issei flinched and recoiled away from her, hands forming into a cross. What the hell?! Was she a mind reader now?! Seeing his reaction, the perverted minx smirked. "I'm not psychic, if that's what your thinking. Your just too easy to read, Hyoudou."

Dammit! Was he really that transparent and predictable?! "Yes, yes you are."

"Stop that!"

Aika giggled mischievously as they walked down the road. Issei grumbled to himself, wondering if there was any actual way for him to catch this minx off guard when they reached the park. Hopefully, by this point, they would separate and-

 ** _'Alert! Alert! Cute girl off the port bow! Twelve o'clock!'_**

His female attraction radar went off as his line of sight whipped around for the source of the signal.

The girl that caught his attention was a foreign beauty. She wasn't drop-dead sexy, but she wasn't gorgeous either. She was more along the lines of 'cute' or 'adorable.' Better yet, she was dressed like a nun, complete with a gold cross around her neck and a white shroud atop her head, platinum blonde hair spilling out from beneath it and emerald green eyes looking around the plaza nervously, a large suitcase in hand.

Noticing the girl caught in his gaze, Aika grinned and adjusted her glasses. "Ah~ The classic Pure Sister trope. A man of culture as always, Hyoudou~" she said, albeit with a somewhat mocking tone before flashing him a predatory smirk. "But, aren't you in a relationship with that hot mama from the other day?"

Normally, Issei would find some way to retort that, somewhere along the lines of 'look but do not touch,' but upon that train of thought reaching his mind, he couldn't help but feel as if his family jewels were in grave danger.

He felt a chill run down his spine. It was the same chill when he was present when Tamamo came close to killing Rias, Sona, and the others a few days ago. In the dark recesses of his mind was a very, very intimidating image of said fox girl.

With a fist clenched.

And for some reason, he could picture her saying, "First, strike the crotch! Next, REALLY strike the crotch! Repentance through crotch violence! Behold my Polygamist Castration Fist! Other deities may allow harems, but never will I!"

...yeah, on second thought, he'll just stick to his fantasies about Tamamo.

"Still, I didn't expect to see a foreigner here." the she-devil remarked with light surprise. Issei looked more closely. Sure enough, the nun was foreign. "She looks like she's around our age... A foreign exchange student, maybe?"

"Eh? But, if that were the case, wouldn't we have heard about that?" Issei asked. If there was one thing that could beat the infamous housewife gossip network here in town, it was the gossiping and rumors that circulated around Kuoh like wildfire. They were your best chance at learning the top info at school, with the Perverted Trio, of course, being your main source of perverted desires. Motohama practically made it his mission to spread the entirety of the female student faculty's three sizes. Even if he found himself under the scrutiny of Sona and the beatdowns of Katase and Murayama. "I haven't heard anything about a new student. Have you?"

Aika pursed her lips, tapping her chin. "Not that I can recall. Hm. Perhaps a business trip."

As much as he wanted to believe that was the case, the brunette doubted that as he glanced at the church sitting atop the nearby hill. That place hadn't seen any worship or maintenance since Shidou's family moved out years ago. _'Shidou...'_ he recalled his childhood friend fondly, a sad smile touching his face. _'Man, it's been so long since I've seen the guy. I wonder if he's gotten any taller. Maybe I should call him up sometime soon. How long has it been since we last talked?'_

A cute yelp caught his ears. Returning to reality with vigor, he saw that the poor girl had fallen flat on her face, causing her shroud to blow off in the wind and a gust to pass by. When it did-

"P-pure white!"

"Ow-owie..." The blonde girl,whined in a cute manner that made Issei's chest hurt. He felt conflicted on so many levels. The purity of her panties, her adorable demeanor that nearly gave him sweetness overload, the fact she was a nun meaning that he'd get smited, and...

Tamamo's image lingered. Once again, a shudder passed through him. "Damn she has you whipped." Aika whistled, now wishing to meet Tamamo and speak with her before looking back at the nun. "We should probably go help her. Watching her try fruitlessly with talking to strangers is just kind of pitiful." Issei balked at her, staring at her as if she was some foreign entity. Took him a moment to realize he was looking at her back as she was already walking away.

Thinking back on this decision in the present, Issei thought it was stupid of him to actually go along with Aika's ideas. He sounded very much like a jackass at this time, but he had absolutely no reason to help a stranger. Besides, he knew that there were at least a few people who knew a foreign language. Kuoh was just that small. In the future, however, Issei would one day silently thank Aika for this suggestion while also at the same time lamenting his idiotic decision to escort the girl to her destination as it had set in motion the events that he would mourn for the rest of his days.

* * *

Tamamo had been practically bouncing with energy as she walked away from an outright stunned shopkeeper, fully aware how she was staring at her swaying hips, much like every other hotblooded male in the viscinity. Given her stunning good looks, this was to be expected. It was how she made Toba fall in love with her at first sight. That being said, she perhaps should have chosen another look entirely as the casual clothes she donned when she met the Hyoudou Family had garnered quite a few carnal desires. A few brave men had even attempted to flirt with her.

She promptly introduced them to her foot. Her body was reserved to her darling husband, after all!

 _'Speaking of Ise, he reminds me a bit of Toba, now that I think about it...'_ Tamamo pondered as she made her way back to the main road, leading back to the house. _'As well as that other person... What was their name again? Hakuno Kishinami?'_

As a side-effect to her full reincarnation, Tamamo had also received the memories of her "fragments" that had been called into the Holy Grail War. Among those memories was her time as the Caster Servant, called into the Moon Cell Holy Grail War. These memories were not perfect, mind you. If anything, they were constantly coming and going at random intervals. Tamamo recalled that her fragment had been summoned by a Master that had no past to speak of. Barely even any emotion. Even so, she could faintly remember the love and devotion she had to them. She couldn't remember if they were male or female, but she did remember them having brown hair and eyes. As well as their unwavering determination to see through the war's end.

There were other memories as well. Memories from her other fragments - Berserker, Lancer, Assassin too. The fragments summoned by another Master, a girl with fiery red hair and a smile that hid the burdens of someone fighting for humanity' future. They were pieces of her. Shards of the being that made up Tamamo-no-Mae. The Tamamo Nine, as her Caster incarnation referred to them. Having been fully reincarnated, Tamamo was composed of all of them. Therefore, she had all of their traits. It was chaotic when she was revived into the world at first: having so many different personalities rampaging and trying to assert dominance. Though they were one of the same, they all wanted to be "Tamamo." To be a single entity. And also because they were unwilling to share their new husband.

Had this been any other Tamamo who had been restored to her full glory, she would have likely have folded or cracked because of the voices, shattering and breaking apart. However, she was the true Tamamo-no-Mae. The Original.

And she promptly asserted her dominance and told the Nine to shut up and listen.

They were in a new world with a flesh and blood body. They were free from the shackles of a servant class container and capable of sustaining their new form. Why use this chance to squander around and bicker when they can explore their new life?

That convinced them to follow her.

Of course, there was the occasional spat every now and then. Mainly in regards to her new husband. Her "Lancer" personality had told her to be aggressive. To go on the attack and just consumate their marriage on the spot. Oh by Izanagi did she want to, but it would be very rude. Besides, Ise was quite cute when he was so flustered and aroused beyond words. A sentiment shared by her "Assassin" personality. The "Berserker" personality had more or less been enthralled by Ise's adorable nature and practically demanded from the others that they should protect him at all costs. It was unanimous.

As for her "Assassin" personality... Well...the less said about her the better. She is very mischievous, sly, and scheming...much kore than her other personalities. That being said, she did have a great taste in fashion! In fact, she was the one who designed the clothes she was wearing.

"Now then, what should I make for dinner today?" she wondered to herself. She had just reached the main road when her fox ears nearly perked up and exposed her true nature, immediately catching sight of her beloved husband. A wide smile touched her face, fully intent on embracing him and about to break into a run to reach him before she noticed something...very worrisome.

Namely, the fact that there were two girls next to him. A brunette with glasses stood next to him while he helped up a blonde girl who appeared to be a nun.

Her husband senses were tingling. She did not like either of them being so close to Issei like that.

 _'Wait. They could just be friends.'_ she tried to rationalize before she went full on panic mode. _'I can't jump to conclusions! Hubby wouldn't cheat on me, r-right?'_ Even at these thoughts, doubt crept into her heart. One of the girls was wearing a similar a uniform to his, so maybe she was his classmate? Tamamo didn't want to be so intrusive on her husband's life, but her responsability and duty as a wife would not allow her worries to remain! She must uncover the truth! Sneakily, she creeped up on the two, using a charm to hide her presence and form from prying eyes as she sneaked up behind the three.

"...how exactly do you know Italian, Kiryu?"

"We do have foreign language classes." the brown-haired girl called Kiryu reminded him. "And aren't you supposed to be taking English classes?"

Issei laughed awkwardly as he scratched his cheek, turning his head away in shame. It was such an adorable sight that made her want to glomp him. Tamamo rightfully refrained, lest she blow her cover. She then looked over to Kiryu as she tended to the foreign nun, pulling her up. She was also capable of understanding what they were speaking, given her nature.

"You okay there?"

"Y-yes. Thank you very much, miss." the nun said as she dusted off her clothes before straightening her back.

Immediately, Tamamo was put on full alert when she looked at her face. She wasn't entirely sure why, but for some reason her tail fluffed up, fur standing on end in alarm. _'...why do I feel threatened around this nun?'_

"No problem. We couldn't just ignore you like that, could we?" She replied before gesturing to Issei. "Well, this guy couldn't stop staring, so we had to help out."

Issei frowned heavily as he glared at the woman. "I-I wasn't staring!" he tried to deny the accusation, albeit rather weakly. Tamamo wanted to cry. He was still ogling other women?! She knew from Mother that he was a pervert and wanted to have a harem, but she resolved to change those ways and restrict his carnal desire solely to her. If she was unable to do that, then she's failed as a wife! "You don't have proof!"

"Two words. White. Panties."

 _'Ah. So Ise likes white underwear?'_ That'd be good information to file away later. She would've assumed he liked black and lacy. But it looks like his tastes varies. Now that she thought about it, though, when she discovered his abomination of a room, she found quite a few magazines, each with different styles and fetishes. Already, she felt her "Lancer" personality cooking up a plan to ensure that he would have the night of his life. Assuming he didn't pass out from a nosebleed again.

"So, what brings you to Kuoh, Asia?" Kiryu asked curiously. "Are you here for schooling?"

"O-oh, no. I'm here to supervise the church here in this area!"

Tamamo's eyes drifted over to the dilapidated building sitting atop the hill close by, raising an eyebrow. She came to supervise that place? From what she saw, it hasn't received so much as a single visitor. In fact, when she was at the market, she overheard a few people mentioning that the town mayor had been thinking of tearing down the Church if they couldn't raise enough money to repair it. _'Something about this smells fishy.'_ she wrinkled her nose, half-tempted to drop the invisibility and confront them. _'I wonder what this Asia Argento's true intentions are...'_

It was best if she kept a close eye on this one. Her gut feeling told her she was dangerous. Something her "Lancer" aspect agreed with whole-heartedly alongside the "Berserker." Even her "Assassin" could tell there was some form of mischief or suspicion in the air.

* * *

 _'Why do I get this feeling that Tama-chan is around?_ ' Issei wondered as he found himself looking around every now and then, trying to find his 'wife' but found her nowhere to be seen. Ever since they met Asia, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, as if reacting to someone. He could even smell the sweet scent of her lovely hair or perfume or whatever she used to make her smell so damn sweet somewhere nearby. Maybe someone used that same smell? He doubted Aika would. She HATED perfume. Couldn't stand the stuff.

"Your Japanese is kind of good, Asia." Aika said as they walked together towards the Church. "A little on the rough side, though."

"Thank you. I was taught how to speak before I came here. But I'm still not very good. I can't read kanji either..." She replied in earnest.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get it eventually."

"Still pretty impressive." Issei chimed in. "So, why'd you get sent here? I mean, Kuoh isn't anything special. Sure, it isn't out in the sticks, but it isn't exactly noteworthy either. Plus, the church here in town is old." And by that, he meant very old. He was surprised the place was even still standing after it was left to rot in disrepair. "No one's ever come around to fix it since the Priest left town years ago."

He should know, considering that the priest was Shidou's father. When they moved away, no one ran the Church since.

"Truthfully, I don't know. I was just reassigned to be here...but I wasn't fully aware of the details."

Aika raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? That's kind of irresponsible." she remarked with a huff. Issei had to agree. They more or less just threw her in here blind without any real knowledge. Did they just expect her to fix the church all by her little lonesome? Ooh, wait. Maybe she was one of those surprisingly strong little girls in manga and anime he's seen before! No, wait. This was real life. Besides, she looked like she couldn't hurt a fly.

 _'Then again, aren't appearances deceiving?'_ a little voice whispered. _'Look at what happened with Yuma-chan.'_ He winced at the memory, vividly recalling her twisted features and those horrible black wings, spear in hand as she aimed to cut him down. He noticed how his hands were shaking just from the mere memory and tried to calm himself down, taking a breath.

"Hyoudou?" He looked to his side, noticing Aika staring at him weirdly. "You okay there?"

"I-I'm fine." he lied rather lamely. She could easily tell he was lying, too. "Just...shaking off some bad thoughts."

"Hmm..." She stared at him in a scrutinizing manner. As much as she wanted to call him out on his lie, she could tell something was bothering him and he really didn't want to talk about it. She would ask him later. "Meh. Fine. I'm surprised a guy like you has bad thoughts given how dirty of a kind you have."

"Well you're just a pot calling the kettle black, aren't you?" He retorted.

"How many men have you scanned?"

"That all depends. Do you want to know what your two buddies' sizes are?"

Issei gagged. "Hell no!" Why the hell would she even bring that up?!

Mentally, Aika grinned in victory (although, it was seen externally as well). She was able to get him out of that funk. A depressed Issei was a rather off-putting one. She rather enjoyed Issei when he was at his high-time of perversity. As a fellow pervert, she quite enjoyed his company. And, of course, his impressive size. It was a wonder how in the world nobody noticed that noticable bulge that sometimes appeared when his lust as at its peak. Perhaps he hid it rather well? She noticed how Asia was staring at the two in confusion, wondering what they were possibly talking about. So beautifully innocent~ What sort of face would she make if she taught her indecent stuff? More importantly, how naughty could she make that nun dress look?

"It's nothing." she assured the innocent girl. As they grew closer to the church, Aika noted how the church was more broken down that she thought. There were quite a few cracks on the surface, a stain glass window was shattered and muddy, and the nearby vegetation was seeping into the building, vines wrapping around one of the doors. The other was smashed in, likely due to vandalism. "This place really is shoddy. How is it even still standing after all this time?"

Issei shrugged, though he could picture Shidou's face if he saw what became of the church they used to play in way back when. He glanced over towards the small playground off to the side. The jungle gym was all rusted, missing numerous bars. The slide was lopsided, metal bent and warped. Even the rubber tire was slashed up and marked with graffiti. _'I remember we used to hide away in that tire all the time when we played hide-n-seek from our parents.'_ he thought vividly. For a moment, a memory played out as he and another brown-haired child ran around the playground, diving into the rubber tire and scrambling inside, giggling all the while. _'It practically was our little secret hideout. Though I do remember how he always said we should build ourselves a treehouse.'_

Asia and Aika continued their approach towards the church, the brunette found himself stopping and wincing in pain as he felt yet another headache ravage his mind. _'Urgh... Seriously. Why do I keep getting these headaches? Do I have a tumor or something?!'_

"You doin' okay there, Hyoudou-kun?" Aika asked him in concern.

Just as Issei was about to reply, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. Something black, with a thin long pole. Turning, he soon recognized the figure and his eyes widened before he rushed at the two girls, pinning them to the floor. "Get down!"

Something hot whizzed over his head, hot air blowing up against his back. Moments later, something slammed into the ground with a thud. Aika, stunned and confused, pushed Issei off of her and looked at the source, only to stare in shock. Asia, on the other hand, looked surprised to see the object. "A light spear?" she questioned before she turned her head. When she did, her eyes widened. "F-Fallen...!"

"Tch." Raynare scowled. "I missed!"

Beside her, a lolita with blonde pigtails frowned. "You tryin' to kill the nun or something?" she asked, folding her arms. "Work on your aim, you cripple!"

Issei froze upon seeing the two. Already, he was having flasbacks from that day at the park. Cold sweat drenched his skin, pouring over his face while he remained frozen. "Y-Yuma..."

"Oh? If it isn't Issei-kun..." the fallen sneered. "To think you would be here as well? Such a lucky day!"

"Y-you know these guys?" Aika asked shakily. "W-why do they have wings?!"

"They tried to kill me!" He stammered.

"What?!"

Mittelt rolled her eyes. "So dramatic..." she muttered before she turned back to Raynare. "There's an extra with them. What do you want to do?"

"We kill her, of course." Raynare replied, causing Mittelt's eyes to widen. "I want to finish this up quickly."

"Y-you do realize if we kill her, we might attract Gremory's attention, right?" the lolita stuttered, not wanting to anger the younger sister of Lucifer. "Can't we just, you know, kill the kid, take the nun and wipe her memories?"

Raynare turned and snarled at the little girl, bearing her fangs down at her. "Are you questioning me, Mittelt?!" she seethed. "Did you forget that Azazel-sama put me in charge of this mission?! If I say, kill her, you kill her!"

"But can we really cover this up?! If we kill both the humans, Gremory is gonna be suspicious for two deaths you know!"

"It doesn't matter! They're just humans! No one would miss them!"

"And that is that kind of thinking why the detest you crows so much." A familiar, sharp voice cut in. Issei's body was unfrozen, head whipping around so fast he thought he felt his neck snap. Behind him was Tamamo, clad in her blue kimono with a dangerous look in her eyes. The moment the Fallen Angels realized that she was standing there, Mittelt let out a yelp and pulled back. Raynare's face, however, was racked with fury and loathing towards the woman. "I'm beginning to grow annoyed by your attempts to kill Our Husband, you filthy hag." Tamamo said, her eyes narrowed and a murderous aura pouring out of her body. "First you have one of your cronies dare attack him when We were not looking, and now you try to kill him again, and before Us no less. You must have a death wish."

"Shut up, filthy youkai!" Raynare roared. There was an almost manic, crazed look in her eyes. Her beautiful features were marred, almost foreign now. "If it weren't for you, that little shitstain would have been dead by now! I had him in the palm of my hand, and you fucked it up!"

Issei whimpered, the memory playing out again. The taunting smile, the spear. It was too much. His hands clamped over his head, sniffling and trying to block out the memory and words playing out in his head. Seeing this, Tamamo's heart ached for him. This was the woman who had captured his heart before and then played with him before shattering it. Then her face contorted into silent fury as, unanimously, all of the Tamamo Nine agreed that the crow didn't deserve to die so quickly. She was going to suffer in the worst, possible way imaginable.

"R-Raynare, what the hell're you doing?!" Mittelt screamed in panic. "Are you trying to get us killed?! That's Tamamo-no-Mae your pissing off here!"

In response, Raynare backhanded her, causing the poor girl to recoil and clutch her cheek. "Shut! Up!" She didn't care anymore. She was just so furious. Being looked down upon, humiliated, and disgraced. She didn't care if it was Tamamo-no-mae. She wanted the fox bitch dead.

However, in her rage, she didn't notice the talisman fly and stick to her extended arm.

"Just shut up already." The deity said coldly.

The Fallen's world was consumed by blinding heat, frigid cold, and sharp lightning all at once. In seconds, she went down back to Earth. Mittelt let out a yelp, recoiling away. Aika and Asia stared at the sight in utter shock, looking on in disbelief by what was happening. The former was the most affected, having finally been exposed to the world of the supernatural.

But it was still a gruesome sight.

"What-what in the..." Aika stammered. "What is-I don't-what's going on?!" She looked back at Tamamo, pointing a shaky finger at her. "Y-you! Hyoudou's girl! W-why're you dressed like some kind of youkai?!"

"Take Our Husband and get out of here." Tamamo commanded the girl with a voice that left no room for arguments, much less any vocal disagreements. "We are going to incinerate this whore."

Aika was only stunned for maybe four seconds before she grabbed a still-out-of-it Issei and began to drag him away, along with Asia, who looked behind her with shock. Before long, they were slowly becoming dots in the horizon. Mittelt saw them leaving, but made no move to try and go after them. Something Tamamo noticed and stared at her, causing her to shrink. "At least you have some wits. Not so much this bitch."

"Y-you..." Slowly, Raynare rose up from the ground, no worse for wear. Tamamo had purposely lessened the power of the talisman in order to get a point across: she didn't need to go all out. She could beat her easily. And she didn't even need to try. Raynare realized this fact very well...and it only served to enrage her even further. "YOU FUCKING CUNT! I'M GOING TO TEAR OFF YOUR TAILS, STUFF THEM DOWN YOUR THROAT, AND RIP OUT YOUR HEAD AND PRESENT IT TO AZAZEL-SAMA! I WILL NOT LET SOME DELUSIONAL FOOL GET IN MY WAY!"

Somehow, this served to amuse the incarnation of the Sun Goddess. Enough so that a wry smile touched her lips. "Delusional? Hmph. Have you not been taking a better look at yourself? You clearly think you can win this." She took a step forward and swung her hand, creating several tailsmans. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, hag...let Us say this as clearly as possible."

Together, the Tamamo Nine surged and her smile turned into a feral grin, just like that of a fox out for a hunt.

"Hellfire can't possibly compare to the Sun."

* * *

Aika ran like hell through the streets, dragging a concerned Asia and dazed Issei away from what would be described as a cluster fuck. As a normal human, she had absolutely no idea what was happening right now. Girls with black wings. Spears of light. Issei's girlfriend dressed as a fox girl Youkai. One would think they were LARPing or something.

However, her instincts told her to flee when she felt the presence exuded by all of them. Her fight or flight response was triggered, and by following Tamamo's request, she escaped with the others.

She had no clue what the heck was going on. She would interrogate Issei about it later, but now she had to get them away as far as possible from the Church. They had just reached the plaza when Issei found himself tripping over his feet, falling to the ground and face scraping up against asphalt. Skin ripped open, causing a small amount of blood to leak down his face. "Are you alright?!" Asia cried as she rushed to pull him up. "M-Mr. Hyoudou!"

"Now is not the time to be shell-shocked, man!" Aika shouted as she grabbed his arm. "C'mon, we gotta-!"

"I'm afraid this is as far as you three go." a cold female voice called out. Aika shuddered, slowly turning to find two more people in the air with black feathery wings. The woman was downright sexy, and her skimpy dress did little to hide her bountiful body and showed off an impressive amount of leg and cleaveage, but her stoic face and eyes ruined the appeal. Next to her was a sharply-dressed man with a coat and fedora hat, armed with a light spear. "Unless you want to die, little girl, hand over that nun to us."

Aika cursed while Issei froze up again. _'Dammit, there were two more of these freaks?!'_

If they were anything like the two at the Church,mother things were very, very bad. She glanced at Asia, who was tending to a fidgeting Issei. The look on his face made her feel a pang of pity. It was the same, terrified expression he had in class the other day. She now realized that it was because of these freaks. Granted, she would've been the same if they nearly killed her.

But why would they want Asia?

She glanced at Asia, who fidgeted and squirmed. Slowly, she pressed herself closer to Issei. Aika, putting on the best brave face she could muster, turned to the two. "W-why? What do you want with her?"

"That isn't your concern." the fedora-wearing man stated with a serious face. "Just give us Asia Argento, and you won't be harmed."

"And what about Issei?" Aika challenged. The silence she received told her everything. She bit her lip and glanced back at Issei, who was staring at the two Fallen fearfully. _'Dammit, this is bad! We're in a rock and a hard place! What do I do? What can I do...?!'_

A spear came flying dangerously close to her cheek, stabbing into the ground and fading away moments later. A burning cut seared through layers of skin, drawing blood as a result. Her body shook, but she couldn't find the strength to scream or cry out. She fearfully looked up, finding the woman's arm in another position. "We won't ask again." she said coldly. "I'd prefer not to kill you, but if you don't give us that girl, you will be meeting God earlier than intended."

She gulped. These two weren't playing around. They were really going to kill her and Issei. Her legs trembled, barely able to support her now. She maintained her brave front, but internally, she was panciking. She was faced with Death.

She didn't know what to do! By all rights, she was dead to rights. Somehow, though, God must have taken pity on the poor girl, because (ironically) divine interventation came upon her.

In the form of Koneko Toujou, slugging the man square in the face and sending him right out of the air.

"What the-?!" But the female Fallen was cut off as a black blade came swinging close to her face. Aika blinked once. Twice. She rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

Yuuto Kiba and Koneko Toujou were right there...protecting them.

"...huh?"

"Whew. We made it in time." Yuuto breathed a hefty sigh of relief as he touched the ground after he forced the woman back before he looked at Koneko, who landed on the ground on all fours with a predatory look in her eyes, hands twitching and ready to punch her foe again. "Think you got him?"

"...missed his jaw." was the only response as she stared at the man, who clamored up to his feet, rubbing his face. His nose was caved in, blood leaking through.

"Damn... Gremory's servants?!" the woman cursed their luck, forging a Light Spear.

Yuuto swiped his sword, glaring at the two Fallen Angels in distaste. "We gave you a warning earlier." he said. "This marks your second offense. I don't believe we have to tell you what happens next."

"...so screwed." Koneko said with hidden satisfaction about the prospect of beating them down.

"Then we'll just drag you both to hell with us!" The male Fallen growled as a bright, blue spear manifested in hand.

"Sorry, but we don't have any plans of letting that happen." Yuuto replied as he extended a free hand. Seemingly out of thin air, a new sword came into his grasp: this one with a light red blade, a haze dancing around it with sparks flickering around the hilt. He then looked over his shoulder. "Kiryu-chan, take Hyoudou-san and that girl out of here!"

"R-Right!" Realizing that another cluster duck was about to take place, she took Asia and Issei and pulled them away from the danger zone.

Kalawarner was about to intercept them, not wanting them to get away again, but was barred by Yuuto's blades, nearly cutting her head from her neck. "Ah!" She immediately pulled back, dashing away and creating a spear into her hand. "Damned Devils! If we don't kill that boy, Azazel-sama will have our heads!"

"Your heads were forfeit the moment you violated the laws of the treaty!"

* * *

Mittelt was terrified. No, scratch that. She was scared shitless.

How could she not be? She was witnessing the full power of the Amaterasu Incarnation first hand. If only Raynare had been smart enough to not dismiss her claims. And now she was paying the price.

"Just stand still and die, you little whore!"

"My my, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Tamamo goaded Raynare into attacking. Due to her frenzied rage, the Fallen could not see that the Youkai was now completely manipulating her actions.

She was like a puppet on strings by this point. Obeying the whims of the maestro. Out of rage, she took to the air and called two light spears into her hand, sending them flying towards Tamamo, who effortlessly knocked them away with a simple kick. Mittelt knew better to get involved, but the sheer dominating presence and terror that the Sun Avatar presented had rooted her in place. She didn't dare move an inch, instead merely watching helplessly as Raynare continued to throw spear after spear and Tamamo effortlessly destroying them as if they were nothing.

Eventually, the deity grew annoyed by the pitiful onslaught, so she decided to attack a bit. She drew two talismans and threw them with extreme precision and speed. They attached to Raynare's legs, and promptly dragged her back to the earth.

"Grgh?!" The crash back down to the pavement was not a pleasant one. Her arm twisted and bent in a direction that was not meant to for a normal human. At best, it was a mere inconvenience. Being a Fallen Angel, a being higher than a human, had its advantages. However, when she tried to stand, she found that her legs were glued to the ground. "W-what?!" Struggling, she tried to move them. They were firmly planted. No matter how much she struggled, they refused to move for even an inch. "Why can't I move my legs?!"

"It is pointless to struggle." Tamamo said condescendingly. "Those seals manipulate gravity to be several times greater than normal. You can no longer fly with those precious wings of yours."

Raynare lifted her head, bearing her teeth at the woman. "Wh-why you damned...!"

"Silence!" The goddess avatar declared in a frigid tone. "Insects have no right to speak." Raynare opened her mouth, likely to deliver another snarling insult or curse. However, it was cut short when Tamamo narrowed her eyes, throwing another charm. This one was planted firmly over her mouth, leaving her to only let out muffled screams and roars of obscured profanity. "There. That's better." the fox maiden smirked before she turned her attention to Mittelt, who promptly froze beneath her gaze. "And as for you... You at least had the decency to not get involved. In fact, you haven't even moved an inch." Her eyes narrowed as her smirk turned almost vicious, sauntering forward with her tail flicking about. "What to do with you, We wonder? Should We rip off your wings? Burn you alive? You people were trying to kill Our precious husband, after all."

Mittelt couldn't mutter a word. She was too scared. Instead, all she could do was slump to the ground in a mess, tears streaming down her cheeks. The sight only made Tamamo even more pleased. At least this one knew when to fold. Her Lancer self was telling her to kill her before she became too much of a threat, but strangely her Assassin fragment disagreed, bringing up an interesting argument. Killing her would be a waste. She would serve to be of more use if she was alive. She held an internal debate for a moment, consulting with the rest of the Nine before returning her attention back to the gothic lolita.

"You should feel honored, little crow." she said, folding her arms beneath her bountiful bosom. "We will allow you to live... That is, assuming you tell me everything."

The traumatized girl found her voice, only stammering and shaking uncontrollably. "W-what do you wish to know, Tamamo-sama?!" she squawked obediently. From her spot, Raynare thrashed with a crazed look in her eyes. If she could speak, she would probably threaten to kill Mittelt if she said anything.

"From what We gathered, someone named Azazel ordered my Husband's death. We want to know why."

"A-Azazel-sama believed the boy had a S-Sacred Gear! One that made him d-deemed d-dangerous!" She spoke truthfully.

"And just what led him to believe that? Had he been spying on Our beloved?" Tamamo questioned.

"I-I don't know! A-Azazel-sama has always had an interest in S-Sacred Gears!"

"So he's a stalker then." She deduced. "And what made him think that Our dear husband possessed one of them?"

"W-We were asked to spy on him for three weeks! T-then Kokabiel-sama told us Azazel-sama wanted him eliminated!"

Tamamo narrowed her eyes. "And who is Kokabiel?"

"Another of our Leaders!" H-He told us Azazel-sama wanted him dead!"

"I see...And none of you ever stopped to clarify with Azazel if his orders were true?"

"Wh-what do you mean?!"

Tamamo wondered if she should feel annoyed or just outright curious. From the sound of it, this Kokabiel was likely Azazel's second-in-command, or perhaps someone who answered directly to him. It could be a case of misunderstood orders and that they thought they were meant to eliminate her husband...or she should could just be reading too much into this, as her "Berserker" personality told her plainly. Either way, the fact remained: these filthy crows had dared to try and kill her Husband, and by Izanagi they would pay. She bore no ill will to the little girl, but she would punish her for her transgressions.

First things first...

Slowly, Tamamo looked over at Raynare, her tail flickering about. So many ideas came to mind. Ways to torture and humiliate the woman. Enough to make her pay a thousand time's over. But the more the ideas came, the more dissatisfied she felt. None felt even remotely suitable for trash such as her. When the ideas failed to be of use, she consulted with the Tamamo Nine. Their ideas were, to be honest, ranging from utter torture to downright borderline on murder in the goriest fashion possible. Yet somehow, none of it even felt right for that woman. Tamamo wanted her to suffer in the most horrible way possible. To live and feel pain for the rest of her miserable life.

Then her "Assassin" fragment offered an idea and brought a grin to her face. One that rung alarm bells in Raynare's head as she approached.

It was perfect. Truly a fitting punishment for someone so arrogant.

"Are you familiar with the legend of Icarus?" Tamamo asked with a sickeningly sweet smile. "It's an old Greek legend. Icarus was granted wings by his father, Daedalus, to escape imprisonment from Minos. However, he grew arrogant in his flight capabilities and soared higher and higher, challenging the Sun. Soon, his wings, crafted from wax and feathers, melted from the Sun's gaze and he plummeted to his demise. Do you understand where We are going with this?" A mass of flame manifested in Tamamo's hand.

"You have flown too close to the Sun..." She grasped both wings in her flame encased hands.

No sooner had she done so had the feathery pinions become soaked in red. Muffled screams erupted from Raynare's threat, thrashing about and trying to pull Tamamo off of her. Her grip was like a steel vice, refusing to budge an inch. The longer she held unto the wings, the more the flames spread. Mittelt's mouth became closed by her hands, watching in horror as her comrade was being stripped of all that she was. Tamamo had no plans to kill her, of course. She wanted her to suffer in agony. Stripping her of these filthy wings: the symbol of her power, was just the first of many long steps.

"Only when Icarus' wings were burned, he came crashing back down to the Earth." Tamamo remarked off-handedly as if she wasn't burning off Raynare's wings, all with a smile on her face. "His death was a quick one. Yours will not be." Her smile grew, revealing the sharp molars that looked more fitting on a wild beast than a beautiful woman. "We won't kill you. We need you to understand what you've done. You claimed to be of higher standing than humans... So let us see how you fare on their level, hm?"

Raynare continued to scream. Whether or not she heard her tormentor over the pain was unknown. Her nerves were screaming. Her head throbbed. Her very essence was being burned away.

This torment continued for several more moments.

And then, with a prolonged and purposely dragged out and weak tug, the smoldering wings ripped from her shoulder blades, peeling away charred flesh and exposing throbbing red muscle. Gaping red holes, gushing blood remained on Raynare's back. When her wings were ripped out, most of her shoulder blades came out with them.

With a flick of her wrists, the ashen remains of the black wings crumbled to dust in Tamamo's hands before they scattered in the air.

All that was left of the Fallen Angel Raynare was a mortified and spasming girl with raven black hair, body lying helplessly on the ground with tears staining her face. Her eyes were glazed over, a sign that she had gone unconscious from the intensity of the pain. There was even foam leaking out from the corners of her covered mouth, seeping through the talisman. Satisfied with her work, Tamamo flicked her wrist and removed the bindings. Raynare didn't even budge an inch, confirming she had indeed passed out from the pain.

A shame. She was hoping she was still conscious so that she could rub the fact that she was no longer an "Angel" in her face. She looked at her hands in disgust, noting how they were covered in ashes of the remains of her wings before she dusted them off, removing the black remains.

"There." she said sadistically to the unconscious woman. "Now you are on the same level as those humans you hate." She then turned her attention to Mittelt, who didn't dare move an inch. She was too terrified. If she wasn't scared of Tamamo-no-Mae, she definitely was now. "We will let you live, little crow, but remember this." she warned her, holding up her hand and forging a dark red flame. "If you dare harm Our Husband, know that there is no place for you to hide from Us."

"Y-YES, TAMAMO-NO-MAE-SAMA!" Mittelt cried, prostrating herself before the avatar, head planted firmly on the floor.

Tamamo nodded in approval. Good. The girl knew how to act before an Avatar of the Sun Goddess. All that was left now is to wrap things up.

* * *

For the upteenth time today, Aika wondered what in the hell was happning in her life as she watched the two Fallens, known as Dohnaseek and Kalawarner, battle against two of her schoolmates. Both of which were popular idols in their own respective rights, mascot and prince. Her mind was still having trouble processing what was happening.

 _'Okay, brain. Let's do a recap. We met with Hyoudou-kun, walked with him, met this sweet, naive and innocent nun named Asia, have plans to corrupt her on a later date, and then we ran into actual angels. And apparently one of these angels tried to kill Hyoudou-kun. Then we get saved by Hyoudou's girlfriend, who turns out to be a youkai. And now we're saved by the mascot of Kuoh and the Prince, one who's throwing punches like a damned superstar boxer and another who can apparently make swords out of freaking thin air! When the hell did I walk into a fantasy novel?!'_

And her words were no exaggeration. Yuuto fought like a swordsman. One a sword in hand shattered, a new blade took its place. To say that his swordsmanship was little more than him swinging it around would be foolish. It looked more like dancing. Every time the light spear came close, he parried it and retaliated with equal force. Koneko had no such grace. When she moved, she came in like a blur and struck heavy like a freight train coming down on a helpless babe. Dohnaseek had felt that punch first hand and did not wish to suffer another blow, dodging as best he could.

Her mind still had difficulty processing everything. Just how long were things like this?! Was this even real? Was she dreaming? No. What she felt before was definitely real. Issei was still shaking, but he at the very least had managed to become coherent enough that he realized how much danger they were in, taking refuge nearby while their classmates fought with the Fallen Angels.

"I don't understand what's going on here..." Aika moaned pitifully. "Why is Kiba-kun fighting? And how does he have so many swords that just pop out of nowhere?! Is he copying Shirou Emiya? And how can Toujou-chan hit so hard?!"

 _'I wonder if I should tell her they're both Devils...'_ Issei pondered the thought before he risked taking a peek, only to duck when a Light Spear came dangerously close to making a hole in his head. "This is crazy... We're stuck in a rock and a hard place!" he shouted. "That old geezer's just tossing spears left and right like it's nobody's business! We try and get out of here, we're gonna get skewered!"

"Tell me something I don't already know!" Aika hissed. "And more importantly, why the heck was your girlfriend dressed like some kind of sexy youkai?! Is she into cosplay or something?!"

"It-it's a long story! I'll tell you later!"

Aika opened her mouth in protest, but a Light Spear landed dangerously close to her face, causing her to freak out and recoil, landing on her butt.

Back to the battlefield, Yuuto had taken to jumping high into the air. Normally, he'd be a sitting duck, but like the two opponents he and Koneko faced, he was not without his own pair of wings. His back throbbed before the fabric of his shirt was ripped open, allowing two leather pinions to spread out. "I'm not particularly found of my wings, as I prefer dueling on the ground." he admitted to Kalawarner before he created another sword, this one covered in a thin layer of frost. "But that does not mean I do not know how to fight in the air!"

With a mighty flap, he rocketed off the ground, straight toward the female Fallen. Kalawarner threw her spear, but Yuuto intercepted it and knocked it away. He closed the distance in seconds, sword raised above his head. Bringing them down, he was only barred from first blood by a Light Spear, held in both hands. Scowling, Kalawarner shrugged off his attack and delivered a kick, pushing him aside and twirling her spear around to throw it. However, she was foiled when she found Dohnaseek heading right for her, having been struck by Koneko when he was unable to dodge. She evaded and let him recover on his own, straightening himself out before retaliating, creating three Light Spears and sending them her away.

Koneko just gave him a flat stare. "...beat it." she said in her usual deadpan tone before delivering a punch, destroying them all at once before she grabbed one of the nearby pillars decorating the park, uprooting it from the ground with ease before she proceeded to throw it straight at the old man. The Fallen didn't know what his him. Literally, as he made the mistake of turning his back to help his comrade.

The pillar hit him dead on. The force of the impact also caused one of his wings to crumble and bend, shattering the bone. As a result, he was sent back down to Earth. Kalawarner's eyes widened in panic. "Dohnaseek!" she cried in panic, moving to help him before she found herself intercepted by Yuuto, his swords barring her way. "Damned Devil! Get out of my way!"

"Not a chance!" the blonde barked back as he pushed her back, proceeding to deliver consecutive slashes. They were all blocked, but they gradually pushing Kalawarner back. Then he successfully shattered her Spears in a single stroke, having focused each of his strikes on a single point before he deftly raised his leg and brought it down upon her, throwing her off balance. "Now, Koneko!"

The petite girl silently nodded as she spread her own wings. She took off like a bullet and struck Kalawarner in the center of her back. The enhanced power behind the strike was devastating; it had shattered her spine. Had she been human, this might've been the death of her. She soon joined Dohnaseek on the ground, crashing straight into the pavement and creating a decently-sized crater in her size. Gritting her teeth, she attempted to pull herself up. Her nature slowly began to fix her spine back into proper order, but she found a blade poised to cut her throat. Looking up, she found Yuuto standing over her.

"Please don't get back up." he asked kindly. "I'd hate to slit your throat." Kalawarner scowled, but in the end she bowed her head in defeat. Seeing her resignation, Yuuto smiled before he looked to the side, finding Koneko dragging an unconscious Dohnaseek by the collar of his coat. His face looked to be severely bruised and beaten, not to mention swollen. It left him confused, as he could only recall the man having hit the ground after Koneko hit him with a pillar. Did she beat him up when he resisted? If so, then he pitied the poor man for being on the receiving end of such a violent beating. "Are you finished on your end, Koneko?"

Koneko nodded. "...done."

"Alright, then." Yuuto smiled before raising his voice. "Hyoudou-kun! Kiryu-san! It's safe now!"

Two brunette heads popped out from their hiding place. A third, blonde one followed soon after. "You guys sure? Like, for real this time?" Kiryuu asked with skepticism in her voice.

"We're sure." He nodded. A moment passed before Aika released a huge sigh of relief. Issei fell flat on his rear, no longer able to find the strength to stand while Asia tended to him, as he had suffered a minor injury earlier.

The fighting was over...for the time being.

* * *

After the Fallen Angels had been rounded up (Issei and Aika both questioned where in the hell Koneko had been keeping the chains used to bind them) and hogtied, Aika had exploded and demanded answers. Yuuto was uncomfortable, having been the target of her inquery while Koneko made sure neither hostages escaped. Issei watched with some satisfaction, internally gloating how the handsome bastard was being grilled for information rather than him. Of course, he sincerely doubted Aika had forgotten about Tamamo. She would sure come asking about that.

 _'What a day...'_

"HUSBAND~~!"

The brunette barely had any time to prepare himself as Tamamo came out of nowhere, slamming right into him and somehow smothering him into a tight hug. On the plus side, though, his face was being smothered in the valley of the gods. A definite improvement. If only her yukata was a little more loose, then he could get the full view! Tamamo failed to notice his perversion as she nuzzled him closer into her chest. She was so happy to see him safe and sound. Made even more apparent by the fact her tail was swishing about happily, nearing smacking Asia in the face. "Oh, praise Izanagi-sama you're alright! I feared the worst! Are you okay?! Those Devils didn't do anything wrong to you, did they?! Were those mean old nasty crows mean to you?!"

"C-calm down, Tama-chan..." Issei advised, waving a hand at her after she released him. To be honest, her flustered state was quite cute. "I'm fine. Really. And no, Toujou-chan or the damn bishounen didn't do anything to me." He then looked over at Aika, who was apparently growing more and more frustrated by Yuuto's attempts to dissuade her. It was still satisfying to see. He wished he could take a picture, though much to his disappointment, he had forgotten his phone at home. He then looked back at Tamamo before he took notice of a black leather strap in her hand. His eyes followed the strap, and his face promptly went flat. Even Asia noticed it and grew disturbed.

"Um... Tama-chan?"

"Yes, Ise-kun?" Tamamo asked sweetly.

"...why do you have a Gothic Lolita Fallen Angel behind you, and why is wearing a leash?"

Mittelt stood obediently behind Tamamo, posture absolutely rigid and terrified while trying to maintain a poor and failing facade of calmness that was easily betrayed by how much her body was shaking. Her hands were bound by black leather, and around her neck was a collar, not unlike the one a dog wore, which happened to be connected to the strap in Tamamo's hand.

Compared to what he just witnessed earlier, he was surprised that there was anything left to surprise him.

"Oh. She's my hostage. I'm gonna pry information out of her." She responded in a cheerful manner.

Yet somehow, Issei felt a chill when she said that. Then another terrifying thought came to mind. "A-and...what about Y-Yuma-chan?"

"Oh, you won't have to worry about her ever again..." She giggled.

Somehow, his answer brought chills to his spine and wisely chose to drop the subject. He already had an idea as to what happened to Raynare, given that she was not present. Even so, he felt confused. Should he be glad that she was out of his life? Sad that she was gone? He didn't know. In the end, all he could muster was a small, yet grateful smile to Tamamo. "T-thanks..."

"But of course, my dear Husband!" Tamamo said, obviously pleased that he was happy with her work. "It is a wife's job to make sure her darling beloved is safe!" She then turned her attention to Yuuto and Aika, who were now moving away from the Fallen Angels. Her nose wrinkled in disgust, still more than a little angry with the Devils. Even so, she did feel grateful for the blonde one for saving Issei not once, but twice. Even if it was oddly suspicious. "You are... Kiba, Yuuto, correct?"

"Yes, Tamamo-sama." Yuuto greeted as he bowed. "I'm terribly sorry for the first impression Rias-sama gave you. Please accept my apology on her behalf."

"I will only accept that apology from that obnoxious red-haired harlot." Tamamo stated firmly. "However, I will thank you for saving my dear Ise-kun."

Yuuto smiled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "There's no need for that. I'd like to think the two of us are friends, hence why I saved him."

At this, Issei grew annoyed. "Oh hell no! We are not friends, you handsome bastard!" he growled, glaring at the blonde prince of Kuoh with as much hatred as he could muster. Which, as one could imagine, was not a lot. "I'd sooner castrate myself before ever becoming friends with a grade A bishounen!"

"I...still don't understand what me being a "bishounen" as you call me has anything to do with hating me."

Aika groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Our lives are being threatened one moment, and the next it's as if nothing happened." she muttered before she looked at Tamamo. "S-so, um... T-that tail you've got. Are-are you a...you know, a y-youkai?"

"I wouldn't go so far, but to an extent, yes." Tamamo answered with some suspicion. "And who are you, exactly?"

"Kiryu, Aika. I'm a classmate of Hyoudou's." she answered. "And before you say anything, I'm not interested in him romantically in any way. Besides, even if I were, I'm pretty sure I'd lose. You're a million times more sexy than me, that's for sure." The way she said it was weak. It was obvious she was still clearly shaken up about the whole situation. Not that Tamamo blamed her. She was little more than an ordinary human, caught up in her first real look at the supernatural world. And to make matter's worse, she was targeted simply because she was with that nun and Issei by pure chance.

Even so, Tamamo appreciated the gesture...and internally happy that she wasn't a love rival. Not that it would have mattered, anyway. "Thank you. To answer your question, I'm more of an aspect of a deity. I am Tamamo-no-Mae."

Aika stared. For a moment, her brain short-circuited. When it rebooted, her glasses drooped. "...as in, the same Tamamo-no-Mae from Shinto Folklore?" she asked quietly. "Avatar of Amaterasu-no-Mikoto? The Sun Goddess?" Tamamo nodded. The perverted girl was quiet for a moment before she swore. "Damn. Hyoudou always talked about how he wanted to score a goddess, but... Holy. Fuck. He hit the proverbial jackpot..."

From there, she went on into a small little rant, muttering how insanely lucky Issei must have been and wondering how it was even humanely possible. Tamamo took such words as compliments before she directed her attention to the biggest mystery of them all.

Namely, the nun who seemed extremely out of place, constantly fidgeting and casting glances at Yuuto and Koneko. "You. Nun." she addressed, catching the girl off guard as she let out a cute yelp. Even though she was of Shinto, Tamamo could easily understand any foreign language. Including dead languages such as Babylonian, though she doubted anyone would speak such an old tongue. "What's your name?"

"A-Asia. Asia Argento!" She stammered anxiously.

"Asia, hm? And that accent...I presume you are from Europe? Why are you here in the Land of the Rising Sun of all places?"

While having foreigners was not uncommon, it was incredibly strange that someone from the West had arrived. Not to mention suspicious. It also did not help matters that she was garbed in the same apparel as those of under the House of the Biblical God. A God that was aligned with Angels. It was possible that she was working with the Fallen, however unlikely. Even so, Tamamo needed to keep an open mind to things and get as much information as possible.

"I-I experienced some trouble back home in Italy, a-and I was relocated to tend to the Church here in Japan." Asia revealed. "B-But my superiors didn't say anything about it being the territory of Devils and Fallen! I swear! On God's holy name!"

Tamamo scrutinized her words, looking for any possible sign of deceit. When she found none, she shook her head. It seemed she was innocent. Still, best to keep an eye on her. She heard the sound of wings flapping against the wind. Looking up, she frowned in distaste when she saw Rias Gremory, attended by Akeno Himejima, arriving on the scene. Just seeing her threw her "Lancer" self in a rage. While she did tolerate her to some level, she was still not happy with the fact that a portion of Japan was under the rule of a Devil, not to mention said Devil being little more than a fledging child.

"Tamamo-sama." Rias greeted respectfully, bowing her head as she landed. "It's a pleasure to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Spare me the pleasantries, Gremory." Tamamo snorted, folding her arms. "What will you do with the crows? To my understanding, they broke the laws set forth by their superiors, even though it was supposedly the leader of their faction who ordered it. Are you going to report this to your superiors?"

"But of course. There are laws put into place for a reason." Rias stated. "No matter what orders they might have had, they were violating a law. And more importantly..." She trailed off, realizing that she would have to choose her words carefully. A small misstep, and she would die. "...they were acting brazenly in a territory that was given to us by the Shinto Faction so generously. A territory that I and Sona have dominion over. The humans in Kuoh are under our protection. Failure to do protect them would be quite shameful. Not just to myself and Sona, but also to the pantheon who allowed us to claim dominion over Kuoh."

Tamamo snorted. She was emphasizing the Shinto faction's role in her current position in an attempt to appease her. Her "Assassin" side knew that she was trying to do. But for now, seeing as she was making an effort to be respectful and NOT give her a reason to give her the same treatment she did Raynare, she would let it slide. At least the Devil knew her place. Plus, she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. "What do you suppose their fates will be?"

"That will be up to my superiors, I suppose. Even if Sona and me are the heads of this territory, it is the Maou who will..."

"Hey, Lucy's sister." a new voice called out, causing everyone present to blink in confusion. "You mind not executing my subordinates yet? I kinda need to talk to them!" Issei looked around, trying to find the owner of the voice before he noticed a black feather falling in front of his face. Looking up, his face promptly shifted into one of shock, pointing upward as he struggled to make a suitable sound to represent his shock. Everyone looked up above and found a man dressed in a black yukata floating above them, bearing ebony wings - twelve in all. He bore a rather handsome mug, rugged with a goatee and black-and-blonde hair along with a jovial smile.

No sooner had she laid eyes on the man had Rias' mouth went agape. "Y-You're-!"

"Another crow?" Tamamo scowled. "I missed one, it seems."

She prepared to burn him to ash, raising a hand to call upon her flames. When the man noticed her, his smile widened. "He~y, Tamamocchi! I heard you were back in town! Diggin' the hot body! Ten out of ten, girl. So, who's the lucky bastard?"

A second passed. Two, three. Four seconds. Then it became five.

Finally, Tamamo reacted. "...eh?"

* * *

From afar, a silver-haired man cursed. "We~ll, _fuck_. This turned into a shit show." he muttered, face marred by a disgusting scowl as he ran a hand through his hair. "Boss man is gonna be fucking _pissed_ when he hears this."

"Language, nii-sama." the woman next to him scolded lightly. "And honestly, we should have expected this. Raynare-chan started to lose it after Tamamo-no-Mae humiliated her. And now she's been stripped of her status. Kokabiel-san will likely discard her when we inform him."

"You think he'll let me fuck her before he kills her off?" The woman gave him a flat stare, making him pout. "You are no fun, Lint-chan."

* * *

Night 4: END

* * *

 _Next Time!_

Lint: Hello, Hyoudou Issei-san. My name is Lint Sellzan. If you would be so kind, could you maybe hand us over Asia Argento-chan before we're forced to kill you?

Tamamo: Hands off! This body is reserved for Ise-kun!

Azazel: Kid, you just don't seem to understand how utterly 'unique' you really are... Do you realize how many people like you come into existence in this day and age?

Issei: Get away from her!

 **Night 5: Confessions of a Priest**

Freed: Kekeke~ Finally, it's my turn to shine! Stay tuned, you bitches!

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay, so before I start going on about how in the hell this story now has 300 reviews and still counting, I want to apologize for how long this update was. You see, I thought I had caught a stomach bug...but it turned out to be an ulcer. I'm getting treatment from the hospital, and so far it feels better than when it did when I first got it.

I just thought you guys should know.

So, the Holy Maiden Arc, or at least my version of it, has finally started. Raynare and co. are now out of the game, and a bunch of shit is about to happen. Before you guys start throwing temper tantrums that I might be rushing this arc, it will actually last about two to three chapters. And that's only because of the absurd length of these chapters. They're going to get longer. Also, yeah. I'm bringing in Lint Sellzan.

To start off, for anyone who doesn't know, she is actually a legit character. I won't spoil anything for those who haven't reached that point in the LN, but I will say this: how in the holy hell is she related to Freed? I mean, seriously?! Freed's as nutty as they come! If not worse! But yeah, she is a canon character. I will explain why she is here and making a debut very early, but for now, please wait. In regards to the Servant appearing, they are a long ways off. I'm thinking maybe for a few couple chapters. Maybe two or three after the current arc is done.

Before I continue on, I want to state something. Someone in the reviews was complaining about Ise having some serious PTSD and that he should have gotten over it by now. Keep in mind that Issei was nearly killed by Raynare, and has had repeated attempts on his life, counting this one and the other before, within the span of a couple of DAYS. You _honestly_ think he will be getting over PTSD shit that fast, especially with shit escalating the way it has?!

That being said, Ise isn't going to be weak forever. He's more of the underdog. He will be receiving training in the arc after next. Oh, and while we're on the subject, the next arc after the Holy Maiden is going to be an original one. I won't give out details, but it will focus a bit on the ramifications of an entity like Tamamo-no-Mae being called back into the world. Especially when it is not the DxD Tamamo that was revived.

So, with that out of the way...who here wants to bet that Issei's life is most assuredly going to get so much more complicated, whether it be from all the attention or from the sexual advances of his foxy wife starting to test his limits?

Before I end this chapter, I would like to make a recommendation for you guys. If anyone who has read my other story, can't remember which, remembers, I mentioned how an author "TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere" who is a new friend of mine has recently hit this site. He's published a YGO x Fate crossover, and if the reviews and follows mean anything, he is doing well. Heck, he even has a Fate x Overlord crossover! That one is my personal favorite. He also has a P5 story published as well, and I DEFINITELY recommend that one. It makes me want to get back into Hoshi to Bokura to! However, my _**BIGGEST**_ recommendation comes from his newest fic, one that I think Marvel Spidey fans will enjoy: An Extraordinary Spider-Man. It was recently published, and so far it has had little love.

If you can, give that story some attention. Assuming you are fans of the web head. You don't necessarily have to, but it would make a newcomer of the site who has recently started out happy.

With that said, I am out of here! I unfortunately don't know when I will be able to update. When this ulcer is gone, you'll probably know. In the meantime, please tell me your thoughts about this chapter, and I'll see you again in the next one!

Adios~


	5. Night 5

_I think I've told you before how crazy my life, but I'll still introduce myself, just in case you were late to the party._

 _My name is Issei Hyoudou. I'm a second year at Kuoh Academy and I'm just your average, healthy perverted teenage boy. Or, at least, I was average until my girlfriend tried to kill me and I ended up summoning Tamamo-no-Mae._

 _Long story short: after me and Aika met this girl named Asia, we ended up getting attacked by a bunch of Fallen Angels, only to be saved b Tama-chan and the Devils. And now we're about to meet their boss!_

 _What's happening to my life?!_

Oh, man up, Hyoudou. And while you're at it, see if you can get yourself laid here in Chapter 5!

 _Okay, how the hell did you get in here Aika?!_

* * *

 **High School DxD x Fate/stay night Crossover:**

 **"Fate/stay night: The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven"**

* * *

 _ **Night 5: Confessions of a Priest**_

 _'...how did it come to this?'_

"Wait, you seriously don't remember me at all, Tamamocchi?! I helped hook you up with that oblivious idiot Toba for God's sake!"

"And like I keep telling you, you old coot, I don't recall ever meeting you! And I sure as hell wouldn't associate myself with such a shabby old man who ordered his subordinates to kill my hubby!"

"Like I said, it wasn't my fault..."

Issei wasn't entirely sure how exactly this happened. One moment, he was being threatened once again with death with Asia and Aika caught in the crossfire, and when the dust settled he was back in his house, serving tea to the shabby looking blonde man in the black yukata, who from what he gathered from Rias and her club's reaction was Raynare's boss. He seemed pretty laid back and was radically different from the others. He was also apparently familiar with Tamamo, given how he addressed her, though it seemed that Tamamo didn't know him in spite of his claims.

Well, then again, at least there was just talking and no spears or fireballs being thrown around this time. He liked talking. Talking was good.

The blonde man, Azazel, sighed as he palmed his temple. "You seriously don't remember me at all?" he asked. Tamamo's glare never faltered, serving as her response. "Well, that's just great... I had this awesome little joke just in mind for ya, and you completely forgot about your best bud Azazel. I'm hurt, Tamamocchi. Really!"

"Will you cease calling me that?!" Tamamo growled, narrowing her eyes. "It sends unpleasant shivers down my spine whenever you address me by that name!"

"So you'd prefer if your boyfriend over here called you that instead?"

"Of course!" Issei balked at the complete 180 the vixen displayed, tails standing up straight with an excited expression. "He can call me whatever wants! Honeybuns, kitty cat! Anything!"

Issei blushed furiously and desperately tried to avoid Azazel's eyes. Was...was he this bad at school, saying such embarrassing things when regarding girls? Was it perhaps karma?

Azazel looked incredibly amused by the whole thing. In fact, he couldn't help but chuckle while he stroked his beard. "Well, at the very least, you're doing pretty well for yourself since you came back from the Astral Plane." he said pleasantly. "Plus, if you really don't remember me, that means I can tell you all my old jokes again."

"Please don't."

"But..." Without warning, Azazel dropped his pleasant demeanor completely, his smile falling apart into a straight line. "While I did want to see if the rumors about your return were true, that wasn't why I came here. As a matter of fact, my being here is actually in regards to my subordinates, who've been causing you two some trouble as of lately."

"You mean the ones I was about to execute for harming my hubby? Under YOUR order no less?"

"Actually, and I'm being quite honest here, I never gave them an order to Kill Issei Hyoudou. Simply to observe him. No more, no less." Azazel raised his hands in defense. "When I was here in Kuoh a few years ago, I happened to run into the kid and felt something a little weird about him, so I had my group running surveilence. With acceptance from Lucy's sis, of course. And speaking of my subordinates..." Azazel dug into his yukata, pulling out a single sheet of paper and sliding it onto the table towards Issei. "Here."

"Uh..." Frowning, Issei looked at the paper. It looked like some kind of document, but the language was one he had never seen before. Honestly, it looked like a bunch of scribbles. "What is this, exactly?"

"Well, I talked it over with the Owners of this territory, and we eventually came to a decision. That paper is a document which states that you have full control over what happens to the parties responsible for causing you grief. In this case, said party being Raynare, Mittelt, Kalawarner and Dohnaseek. You were the one they were targeting, so it should be you who decided what happens to them." Issei looked up, confusion written on his face. "For example, if you want to forgive them, which I highly doubt you would, you can just write on the paper and say you forgive em. Or if you want to humiliate 'em, give an embarrassing order and we make sure they damn well follow it to a T, no matter how cruel or embarrassing it is." A twinkle passed through his eye, and Azazel's face darkened for a moment. "You can have them killed, if you want."

The brunette choked. "What?!

"It is a valid punishment. They went against my orders and tried to kill you. Not only did they sought to eliminate a civilian, but they could've potentially started a war with their reckless actions." Azazel sighed, shaking his head. His otherwise lively face was replaced with the look of a tired old man. "While I wouldn't like you to kill them, the decision is up to you, kid."

 _'Thanks.'_ Issei thought sarcastically. _'Not like putting any pressure on me or anything.'_

Seriously, why did he have drop this on him? Deciding their fate? True, he was angry at them, but...why did they have to push this on him? This was... He wasn't even sure what to think! What was he supposed to do? What could he do? According to Azazel, he could do anything to the Fallen now. He could humiliate them, which left a lot to the imagination, forgive them, which he was honestly tempted to do as the safer option and avoid all of this, or he could put them to the blade. The last one made his stomach churn.

His eyes lingered on the parchment of paper in front of him before he shut his eyes, pushing it back to Azazel. "C-can I have some time to think?" he asked. "This is... This just too much right now."

"Sure thing, kid." Azazel nodded after seeing how tortured the kid was. Maybe it was not a good idea, showing this to him right now. Folding it, he slipped it back into his yukata before looking back at Tamamo. "Now then, I suppose you want some answers."

"Damn right I do." Tamamo hissed. "For starters, why was my husband targeted? According to that Gremory woman, he had no Sacred Gear. And he has no aptitude for magical abilities. There shouldn't be any reason for him to be targeted. You had best start talking, you crow, before I tear out your wings."

The Governor winced, laughing rather awkwardly. He knew from her tone that she would honestly make good on that threat, so he wisely chose to answer. "Well, technically speaking, the last one isn't true." he said, earning confused looks from the two. "Believe it or not, the kid does have magical potential. It just isn't the kind you would expect. Magical potential refers to the innate ability to conjure spells and charms and enchantments, but all of those come from their pact with the Devils. Covenants strengthen this potential, but theoretically, it is possible to increase their magical prowess by themselves, though its been stated that the process in doing so can take decades. Perhaps even centuries."

He paused briefly, taking the moment to take a sip of the tea Issei had prepared him. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad, though it was a little off. Still a lot better than what Shemyaza made him, that was for sure.

"You, kid? You are something else entirely."

"What does that mean?"

"Kid, you just don't seem to understand how utterly _unique_ you really are..." Azazel shook his head. "Do you realize how many people like you come into existence in this day and age? Not even a handful. You can count people like you on a single hand." He took another drink before continuing on. "Let me put it to you this way. Making a pact with a Devil has this effect. While your magical potential increases, your life span becomes than of an ordinary human. Its give or take, to be honest. The Devil benefits from the years that the magician willingly forfeits, since the old coots can live for long periods of time. Those that don't and learn to harness their magical abilities naturally can live for centuries. You ever heard of Morgan Le Fey?"

Issei nodded. While his knowledge on history wasn't the greatest, Shidou had told him the basics about the Arthurian legend. "She was King Arthur's sister, right?"

"Yep. And since every supernatural being in religion and myth exists, so did she. That woman lived to be almost 800 years old, did you know that?" Azazel snorted. "Caused a lot of trouble, that girl. Some days, I wondered what in the hell that old pervert of a magician saw in her! Getting back on track, though..." He leveled a small stare at Issei, leaning forward. "Morgan was one of the few magicians to hone her magical prowess without relying on a contract with a Devil. And she lived for nearly 8 centuries. Do you want to know how long your life span is kid?"

The brunette tilted his head. Azazel promptly dropped the bombshell.

"One _million_."

He blinked rapidly. "...one million what?"

"Kid, you can live to be a million years old."

Issei blinked one. Twice. Thrice. "...say what now?"

"I just said it, kid. You will live to be one million years old."

A second passed. Two, three. Then-

 _"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?!"_

Azazel could've sworn the entire room shook from that scream alone. Kid's got some good lungs on him. "I'll get to live to be a million?! How's that even possible?!"

"Nothing's truly outside the realm of possibility when magic is involved, kid."

Issei's mind was racing. A million. He could live to be a million? That... That was... Crap, he couldn't even think straight. His legs were trembling, quickly losing strength. Thankfully, he was right next to a chair so he was able to collapse on that instead of the floor.

Tamamo herself seemed surprised and even went slack jaw. "...I must admit. I don't think I know of anyone with such an impressive lifespan, sans perhaps the famed Witch of the Shadow Lands."

"You mean Scathach, yeah?" Azazel snickered. "Man, you really must have enjoyed your vacation up in the Astral Plane! She died years ago."

"What?! How is that possible?!"

"I don't know the details, but rumor has it she had a run in with some group called the Hero Faction. I don't know much about them, other than that they're made up entirely of humans who wield Sacred Gears."

Tamamo blinked rapidly, trying to wrap her mind around this. Though she and Scathach were not of the same era, she knew quite a bit about the woman. She was powerful. One might say she had even shattered the boundaries of humans and transcended. Of course, it was not something she was happy about. Her skills and prowess had reached to the point where the World could no longer recognize her as human. For all intents and purposes, Scathach was not human to the eyes of the World, and therefore, could not die like a human. From what little she could recall from her bits of memory with Chaldea from her "Lancer," "Berserker" and "Assassin" selves, the only reason she was able to fight alongside them was because of the circumstances.

The fact that she was dead in this world was...it sent her reeling.

 _'This is certainly not the world I recognize...' s_ he thought, pursing her lips. _'At first, I thought it was but one of the many worlds connected to the Moon Cell, or perhaps just another variant of human history, but...this is too great to ignore.'_

The inconsistencies were just too numerous. What type of world did she set foot in when she answered her Master's call?

Azazel finished the rest of his tea, gulping it down with gusto. "Not bad at all." he remarked with a grin as he set the cup down, proceeding to stand up. "Well, I should be going. When you decide what you wanna do with my troublesome subordinates, give me a call, yeah? I'll be hanging around here a bit more. Oh, and if I were you, I'd be careful of anyone who looks like a priest."

"H-huh?" Issei snapped out of his shaken stupor, shaking his head. "Why?"

"Around the time they went wrong, they took to hiring Stray Exorcists. Basically people excommunicated from the church for one reason or another. Though they aren't under contract anymore, I'd still be careful."

"Uh, okay...? T-thanks for the warning, I guess."

"Actually, before I go..." Azazel took a glance at Tamamo, making her raise an eyebrow, before he turned back to Issei and developed quite a familiar grin. The same sort of grin that Issei usually sported in his most perverse moments. "I gotta ask. What's it like, being with one of the sexiest women in the whole damn world?"

"It's...well, its...its..." He couldn't quite explain it. Even now, he still couldn't believe it all.

Before he could try and form an answer, Tamamo growled. Not hissed or scowled. Growled. "I do not appreciate your comments, crow." she said, bearing her fangs before him. Already the air fluctuated between being frigid and insufferable. "Unless you leave, you will find yourself suffering the same punishment as that Raynare whore." At the mentioned of Yuuma's true name, Issei went rigid, unable to think as to what Tamamo had done. She hadn't told him, but from the sound of it, she was still alive. Honestly, he wasn't sure he even wanted to know what Tamamo did to her. "Now leave."

"...good god, Tamamocchi, you seriously need to fuck the kid already."

Without waiting for a response, Azazel vanished via glowing magic circle. Now that the target of her ire was gone, Tamamo let out of a huff of frustration. As of he didn't need to tell her. But every time she tried, he fainted via bloody nose.

...Okay, well, that may or may not have been her fault, really. She let her "Lancer" self take the reigns those times and might have given him an overdose of sexiness. So strange, though. Especially given how erotic most of his porn magazines and eroge games seem to be. Now that she thought about it, if getting that reaction was from just her being Tamamo, what would his reaction be to cosplaying?

She would have to find out.

* * *

Later that day, Issei decided it was time to deal with yet another matter in his house. Namely, the matter that had been in his room for most of the day, decompressing after everything that happened. Rias had been pretty adamant about settling the matter herself, but he insisted that it was his responsibility.

"...you know, I half expected to find porn everywhere." Aika remarked as she looked around the room. Off to the side, Asia was sitting on the bed, looking rather anxious and unsure. "And yet all I see is a room with no porn in sight. What gives, Hyoudou? Your girlfriend toss your stash?"

Issei sighed, hanging his head low. "Y-yeah, she did..." he confirmed. He was still mourning the loss of his precious fap material. Especially since he just got Kuroinu! He had been waiting for months to get that! "So... How're you guys doing?"

"You want an honest answer?" Aika said, her face falling apart and showing just how tired she was. "Pretty shitty. A few hours ago, I was nearly killed by a bunch of people with black feathery wings behind their backs. Not to mention I just found out that the most popular people in Kuoh are actually Devils. As in, literal demons from anime. To top it off, your girlfriend is apparently freaking Tamamo-no-Mae. So, yeah... I'm not okay."

"Right. Sorry about that..." Issei lowered his head. "Didn't really want to get anyone else involved. Not with this craziness."

"It's fine. If I were to be honest, things got exciting...but perhaps too exciting for my taste."

He could understand that. While a radical change was often appreciated, things like this were just too extreme. Issei sighed, running a hand through his hair. To think that things could become so hectic. When had his life turned crazy? Oh, right. When he met Raynare when she tried to kill him. Even though it had only been a few days, it felt like it had been so much longer.

"...how're you holding up, Asia-chan?"

"I am well. I apologize that you had to get caught up in everything. It's my fault..."

"What?" The two Japanese students looked at her sharply. Aika frowned and kneeled in front of Asia, putting a hand over hers. "Look, I don't know why you think this is your fault, but it isn't. I mean, there's no way you could have known what would have happened at that church. All you knew was that you were supposed to supervise it, right?"

Asia bit her lip. "B-but..."

"Aika's right on this one." Issei said firmly, holding the same opinion as Aika. "What happened today wasn't your fault."

"B-but..."

"And don't try to convince us otherwise." Aika pressed. "We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I mean, did you know that those freaks were going to kill us?"

"What? No!"

"Then that's that."

"So no more of this I'm at fault talk." She paused briefly, as if thinking on something before she tilted her head over at Issei. "If anything, blame him."

The oppai baka balked. "What?! Why me?!"

"For not telling me about this shit, for starters!"

"What was I supposed to say?! _'Oh, hey guys! Guess what? Turns out the girl I fell in love with at first sight turns out to be a homicidal bitch and a Fallen Angel and I just so happened to summon a freaking sun goddess who also wants me to be her husband!'_ You think anyone would believe that crap?!"

"...Okay, you made your point." Aika conceded. She had no retort to that. Hearing it out loud, it sounded too unbelievable if it didn't happen to her not just a couple hours ago. "But my point still stands. A little warning about your psycho ex-girlfriend would have been nice!"

Issei frowned. "I tried! But for some reason, whenever I tried to mention her, especially to my buds, they said they don't remember anyone named Yuuma Amano! It's like they're memory got totally wiped or something..."

"Seriously? You sure you didn't just forget to tell them in the first place?"

"Of course I did! I even showed her to them! But now they don't even know her name! And that isn't even the weirdest part! Her contact number was gone from my phone, along with any pictures I had of her."

Aika quirked an eyebrow. "What? Like pantie shots?"

"H-how'd you know about this?!"

"Ise, this is you we're talking about here."

 _ **[CRITICAL HIT!]**_

The brown haired youth crumpled down to the ground, emotionally and mentally wounded.

"Uh...is Mr. Hyoudou alright?"

"Oh, he's fine." Aika assured her. Asia looked unconvinced, clearly looking worried and wondering if she should use her 'gift'. "In the meantime..." The girl sat next to the nun, concern washing over her features. "I suppose the church is out of the question. Do you have any idea where you can stay?" Asia shook her head. "Hm... I think I can set you up at my house. My parents are out of town for the rest of the week, so they shouldn't mind you using the guest room until we can find you a place."

Asia gasped. "Y-you don't have to do that! I wouldn't want to impose!"

"Girl, if there is one thing I refuse to let you do, it is sleeping out in the street." the brown-haired girl huffed, folding her arms. "And if Hyoudou over there wasn't already dealing with girl trouble, I'd have him take you in." Aika pursed her lips, tilting her head. "Then again, I don't think Tamamo-san would appreciate having another girl in the house." A thought struck her, followed by a grin as she leered at the still hurt Issei. "I guess this means you can kiss your dreams of becoming a harem goodbye, huh?"

 _ **[CRITICAL HIT!]**_

Issei whimpered. "Please...stop..."

* * *

Speaking of Tamamo, the Goddess Avatar in question was deep in her own thoughts on the matter. Specifically of how her presence in this world was much different than the others she had been in previously.

She was sitting in the sofa of the Hyoudou family's living room, leg crossed while her arms were crossed, head tilted and left deep in thought. Had anyone seen her, they would have found her all by her little lonesome. But to Tamamo, she was far from alone.

 _"...where's the rest of you?" the Caster inquired._

 _She referred to the Tamamo Nine that materialized as astral projections only she could perceive. Or rather, only three of the Nine. Sitting at the kitchen table was the "Lancer" - wearing quite the revealing two-piece swimsuit with a straw hat atop her head and a blue-and-white short sleeved hoodie. On the lounge chair in the living room was the "Berserker" - who was more or less identical to the dominant Caster persona, albeit wearing a red kimono instead of a blue one, and with sharper claws. On the other side of the couch was the "Assassin" - wearing a skin-tight black suit that revealed an ample amount of cleavage with a pair of glasses sitting atop her nose, a book held in her hand._

 _"Snoozing away, unfortunately." the Assassin said, her voice low and seductive and laced with venomous honey. "We did expend a bit of power. We're still trying to wake up fully after being completely resurrected, after all."_

 _The Caster nodded. "I suppose that makes sense." she said, understanding the reason why only the four of them were present. "Still, at least that damned harpy who dared break our husband's heart is out of commission."_

 _"About that..." the Lancer said, her voice chipper yet also with a sharp edge in her tone, coupled with her accusing glare. "Why did you allow that bitch to live, anyway? We should have killed her when we had the chance!"_

 _"I'm with her on this one!" the Berserker raised her hand, her voice possessing a slightly higher pitch. "She tried to hurt hubby! Twice! We were waaay too nice to her."_

 _The Assassin adjusted her spectacles, giving the Caster a questioning glance. "I'm curious of this as well. As the Dominant Persona, why did you allow her to live?"_

 _"The answer is quite simple, my fellow incarnations..." the Caster chirped. "Killing the tramp would be too easy. Too swift. She would not feel the full folly of her actions. As a result, why give her a fate worse than Death and force her to live it for her extended lifespan? I believed removing her wings, her symbol of her arrogance and superiority, was the best way to deliver retribution."_

 _The three stared at her before they nodded slowly in understanding. "I suppose it makes sense." the Assassin hummed. "Still perhaps a bit risky, should she return for revenge."_

 _"She can try." the Caster snarled. "I'll burn her to cinders."_

 _"Here, here!" the Berserker cheered in agreement._

 _"I saw we skewer her first!" the Lancer chirped._

 _The Assassin sighed, shaking her head. "You lot have no sense of elegance." she said before smiling sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, I suppose our meeting is over. For now, at any rate." The Lancer and the Berserker nodded before they disappeared from sight. As the Assassin also began to disappear, however, she leveled a minuscule glare at the Caster, a gleam running through her eyes while a smirk touched upon her lips. "Just remember this, however. While you may be the Dominant Persona... You can be topped from your throne."_

 _"Just try it." the Caster shot back with a grin. "After all, Tamamo-no-Mae does not give in so easily. Now, off with you, Tamamo-vitch!"_

 _"Fine, fine. Until we meet again." With a mock curtsy, she vanished from her sight._

With the fragments that made up the true godly avatar now rejoining together, Tamamo opened her eyes and rolled her neck. "That went on for longer than it should have..." she complained. Conversing with her fragments was always so tiring! Still, at least they settled the matter, even if her "Assassin" self was still vying for the chance to take the driver's seat. Not just her, either: all the fragments wanted to become the Dominant Persona. Her "Caster" self was her primary core. The closest there was to the original Tamamo-no-Mae. Therefore, it was she who was given the reigns of their complete form. While she may have gotten the rest of the Tamamo Nine to agree, there was still some lingering tension.

At the very least, however, they all agreed that they loved Issei Hyoudou unconditionally. So she had no need to worry for one of her personas to try and kill her hubby when she's not looking. They all shared the same wish: to be loved by their summoner and to be the best wife they possibly could. It also helped that he was as healthy as he was perverse! While she most definitely did not appreciate the lewd material she found in her room, it did serve as excellent research for when they would finally be able to consummate their marriage. Whenever that was.

"Hey, Tama-chan? Are you down here?" Ah, speak of the Devil! Tamamo looked over, finding Issei descending down the stairs, his school jacket long since discarded and leaving him only in his red shirt. "I'm going to get dinner started. Do you think you can help me?"

At this, Tamamo's eyes lit up. A chance to make dinner? With Issei?! She would be a fool to pass it up! "Of course!" she cried in joy, leaping up to her feet. "Though I would like to know why. Usually, you let me handle cooking! Not that I'm complaining!"

"Well, since Aika and Asia are staying over for the night, I figured the least I could do was make them something." Issei told her. Tamamo stopped dead in her tracks before she pouted. The nun and that girl were going to be staying over? Drat. And just when she had bought that sexy lingerie earlier today! She wanted to show it off to him in the hopes that they would finally become an actual married couple, but it looked like it would have to wait for tomorrow. "And before you ask, they're staying in the guest room."

She huffed. "I would certainly hope so!" she said, tail flicking about at the mere idea of another woman sleeping in the same room as her darling. "Our love nest is reserved for the two of us!"

"Y-yeah..." Issei scratched his head in embarrassment. Even now, hearing those words makes him giddy. "So...what should we make?"

"Hm... the Nun is from Italy, right? So perhaps an Italian dish?"

"In that case, I'll see if kaa-chan's cook book is around here somewhere."

* * *

The two eventually settled on Lasagne and Ciceri e Tria, along with a side dish of spaghetti. It had taken roughly around an hour for the food to be done, though around thirty minutes in, Aika and Asia had been drawn by the smell and were already seated in the kitchen. Once the food was prepared and settled on plates and bowls, they sat down at the dinner table with a quick "Itadakimasu" and Asia offering a ten second prayer.

It was already a hit for Asia, who found herself shoveling the food into her mouth while remaining proper. Aika had been vocal in her awe of how delicious the food tasted. "Holy shit, Hyoudou! Where'd you learn to cook?! More importantly, can I mooch off of you?!"

"Like hell you can!" Issei snapped. "And to answer your first question, Tama-chan helped me. At best, I can make curry well enough. Plus, I was just following the instruction on kaa-chan's cook book."

"You still did wonderfully, Ise-kun~!" Tamamo praised her husband's skill. He was underestimating his own talents in the kitchen. She likened them to a diamond in the rough. "Give it a few years, and you could open your own restaurant!"

"W-well, I don't think I'm THAT good..." He rubbed his neck sheepishly. "It's only because of you that we were able to even make all of this. You're better than I am at cooking."

"Don't sell yourself short, Hyoudou. You know what they say about a man in the kitchen~" Aika said with a teasing grin. "So, how's being married to a total bombshell? More importantly, does she know what your packing?"

Issei felt his eyebrow twitch in tandem with his cheeks burning pink. "Are you-?! Is not even my home safe from your lecherous ways, Aika Kiryu?!"

"Hello, kettle. My name is pot. Have we met?" she shot back cheekily. Tamamo looked back and forth between the two, not quite understanding what was going on. Thankfully, Asia was more focused on the food than anything else. "Say, Tamamo-chan? Do you want to know how big his-?"

"Don't you effin' dare! And Asia is right there next to you!" Issei cried. Seriously, why was she picking on him so relentlessly?! Was this her way of getting back at him after what happened today?! He couldn't have possibly have been this bad, could he? "Just-just eat your food!"

Aika grinned as she giggled. "You are so easy~" she said before she took a bite out of her food. "...I do mean it, though. You're an awesome cook, Hyoudou."

"...?"

* * *

When morning came and Issei was on his way to school, he couldn't help but notice how everyone was staring at him. Compared to before, when everyone was staring at him and wondering what his connection was to the girl he had been showing around Kuoh, everyone was giving him the most bizarre look.

And he knew why.

"...why are you walking with me, Aika?" Issei asked with a sigh.

"Why not? We both have to get to school, and walking with you was more convenient." She answered.

"Yeah, but people are staring and I think they're getting wrong ideas..."

"ISE!"

"Like now." the male brunette shook his head when he saw his friends approaching, panicked looks plastered across their faces. "I better go and do damage control."

Aika shrugged. "Whatevs. Talk to you later, Hyoudou."

"See ya Kiryuu..." He waved goodbye and sucked in a breath, preparing to face the music. No sooner had he departed with Aika and joined with his fellow perverts-in-arms had he been immediately swarmed, Motohama suddenly frisking him. "W-whoa, the hell?!"

"He's clean!" the three-size scouter reported.

Matsuda nodded before he held Issei by the shoulders. "Is your dignity intact, bro?! The she-devil didn't do anything wrong to you, did she?!"

"W-what?" Issei shook his head. So far, all she had done was tease him all to hell during dinner and gave him a few compliments here and there. Which was weird, all things considered. "No, I'm fine. Really."

"Are you sure?" Motohama asked, unconvinced. "Dude, we saw you walk here together! Is she blackmailing you?"

"No, we just came from my house..."

It took him two seconds to realize he had just said. If there had been music playing, it would most assuredly have abruptly stopped at this moment. Motohama and Matsuda stared at him, faces blank before it crumbled into pure horror.

 _"ARE YOU NUTS?!"_

 _"DO YOU HAVE A SOCIAL DEATHWISH?! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"_

"Uh..." Seriously. Wha pt was he thinking for saying it like that? His mind must not be working today. Especially given what's been happening these last few days. Still, did they have to be so loud? He could've sworn he felt his ear drums burst. They could wake up the dead with how loud they could be! "Look, we didn't have sex if that's what your thinking." he told them. "I'm still a virgin." 'Sadly.' he mentally added, weeping. Oh, what he wouldn't give for a chance to finally get together with Tamamo! Especially since she was practically offering! Curse his virgin status!

"Seriously? You didn't sleep with the she-devil?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly pure. Or, as pure as you can get when it comes to being a pervert." the teen deadpanned. They didn't look convinced. Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, it's a long story. I got Kiryu and another girl into trouble and I let them stay at my place for the day."

Matsuda blinked. "...and that foxy babe you had hanging on your arm was okay with it?"

"We had a spare guest room."

"...wait. You just said you were still a virgin." Motohama observed, adjusting his glasses. "That means...you still haven't done it with that hot chick you had with you the other day?! Dude, the hell is wrong with you?! Do you know what her three sizes are?!"

Issei's face turned serious. "Hit me."

"Dude, once I tell you, you will regret not doing it."

"I'll take the chance, just hit me."

Motohama adjusted his glasses, a glint passing through. He opened his mouth and-

"...hentai-senpai."

Issei turned from his friend and saw Koneko approach him. Was there something she needed? Matsuda, being the lolicon he was, became very alert with eyes locked on to the unofficial mascot of Kuoh Academy. Motohama merely observed closely, no doubt curious as to why she was approaching Issei. As for the teen himself, he couldn't help but internally weep. He knew he was a pervert, and even prided himself in that fact, but seriously? Why did it hurt whenever she called him that?

"W-what's up, Toujou-chan?" he asked, trying to hide his internal wounds. "Something wrong?"

"Buchou and Kaichou want to talk to you." Koneko told him simply, making him somewhat nervous. What did they want with him? Could it be about the incident from yesterday? "They'll be waiting for you in the Student Council Room." Before he even had a chance to open his mouth and ask what it was about, Koneko was already walking away, making him tilt his head.

What a weird girl.

...wait. Why were Motohama and Matsuda staring at him like that?

"...why do Gremory-senpai and Shitori-kaichou want to see you?" Motohama asked, getting too close for Issei's liking as he adjusted his glasses. "The other day, someone said they saw you hanging out with that damned bishounen Kiba and Toujou-chan. And I also heard that you and that fine chicka were invited to hang out with Kaichou and Gremory-senpai a few days ago!"

"What's the deal bro?! You tryin' to snag the some of the sexiest babes in school without us?!"

Issei groaned. What the hell was up with his life lately?

* * *

In hindsight, lunch couldn't have arrived sooner for Issei, especially since his fellow perverts wouldn't leave him alone since they discovered that he was going to be around one of the great ladies of Kuoh and the Student Council President herself. Somehow, the news also spread around the school and everyone wanted to know as well, letting out hushed whispers that left him greatly confused. He knew the rumor will was something to be feared, but how does info spread so quickly?

As Koneko had told him, Issei had arrived in the Student Council Room to find Sona and Rias already present, the latter with her peerage present. Issei also saw members of the Student Council also present as well, all of whom had pensive expressions. What really surprised him, however, was Aika also being there, sitting on the opposite side of the table.

"Good, you're here." Sona noted, nodding. "And three minutes early. Excellent. Please, Hyoudou-kun, take a seat." Without questioning her, lest he suffer the consequences, Issei sat down next to Aika. The girl grinned at him, though she seemed to be as confused as he was. "Before we begin, I'd like to ask Kiryu-san something. You are aware of the existence of Devils and Fallen Angels now, yes?"

Aika blinked, surprised before she slowly nodded. "Y-yeah...along with gods, apparently, since Hyoudou over here's in a relationship with Tamamo-no-Mae of all people."

In the back, the blonde-haired member of the Student Council choked. "W-what?!" Unfortunately for him, his cry went largely ignored before Sona continued. "That simplifies things, then. Then as I'm sure you are aware, there would be panic of people were to learn about the supernatural world being real. Therefore, I need to ask: are you capable of keeping a secret?"

"That all depends, what happens if I can't?"

"Then we erase your memories of your encounter with the Fallen Angels." Rias told her, surprising the two humans. "Please understand, it's not just about secrecy. It's also for your own good."

"You mean I would be a target if I went and blabbed everything?"

"That's more or less the case. Knowledge of the Supernatural puts a normal individual, such as yourself, at risk."

Aika pursed her lips, leaning back into her seat. "...I'd like to think I can keep a secret." she said. "But I would prefer it if you didn't wipe my memories."

"Any particular reason why? We can will do so if you'd like. You would no longer have to worry about the supernatural and live out a normal lifestyle."

"That all depends, am I going to remember that cute little nun?" Aika shot back. "Cause if not, then I'd rather remember that I almost got killed, thank you." That had surprised Issei. She was turning down the offer to forget what happened yesterday...because she didn't want to forget Asia?

"I see. So you would rather remember a person who dragged you into the mess in the first place?"

"It wasn't her fault!" Aika argued hotly. Her outburst even caused Rias to reel back in shock. "She didn't know those crows were there. Look, I get it. Everybody in the room except for me and senior horndog over here are Devils, and that means you guys hate anyone even remotely related to God with a passion, but come on!" Aika stomped her foot in frustration. "You're just making it sound like you're blaming her for even EXISTING! Are all Devils quick to point the figure at anyone associated with their mortal enemies, or do you just not give a damn about a thing called circumstances?!"

"...jesus, Aika." Issei broke the silence first, equally as stunned as everyone else. Jul 1Just where did this girl find her fire? It was seriously out of character for her. Where the the perverted girl he knew for years?

Then again, he couldn't blame her. Even he felt a bit peeved by their apparent belief. He knew it was wrong to judge them so quickly, but while he didn't know the full story behind Asia's reason for being here in Kuoh, he didn't appreciate the hostility.

"Senpai. Kaichou." he said as loud as he could without yelling. "Could you just tell us why you asked us here? I doubt you had us come all this way just to ask Aika if she wanted to forget about what happened yesterday."

Sona nodded sternly, shooting Rias a small glare. The red-haired girl pouted slightly and turned her head. "My apologies for Rias. I can assure you, we don't have anything against Asia Argento. Recent events, among which including your own attempted assassination, have left us all on edge as of lately. To the point, then. I'll be frank. I believe it will be best if you allowed members of our peerage to go with you when you return home."

Issei and Aika blinked in confusion. The former was the first to speak. "First off, what do you mean your peerage? And secondly, why the security detail?"

"I figured you would have noticed, given your acute awareness, Hyoudou-kun." Sona smiled thinly, gesturing to the Student Council. "Everyone in the Student Council is a member of my Peerage." The two humans' jaw dropped. Seriously?! Even the Student Council?! Was every popular student in Kuoh a Devil or something?! More importantly, was every cute girl some kind of supernatural being?! "And to answer your second question, Azazel-san had come by the other day to inform us of something rather...troubling."

"How do you mean?"

"Raynare and her cohorts were not working alone. They had enlisted the aid of Stray Exorcists. That is to say, excommunicated members of the Catholic Church."

Issei's eyes widened in realization. Now that he thought about it, Azazel DID mention that piece of information to him. "So...you're saying that are still on some watch list? That we could be assassinated at any moment?

"Yes. Especially since he was kind enough to inform us about...one of their members." Rias said, her voice tense. "Freed Sellzen. He was apparently regarded as a prodigy at the Vatican, but was excommunicated. The reason was because he killed not only Devils and Fallen, but also fellow humans: regardless if they were unarmed civilians, innocent people who entered a contract with Devils, and even his own teammates."

Issei paled, finding a growing pit in his stomach. Somehow, he could imagine the events the red-haired woman described. Aika paled, looking ready to faint. "S-seriously...?" she asked shakily. "So, t-those angels hired a serial killer that used to be a priest?"

"Yes. While we don't know much about the other, it is a safe bet that he will continue to target you." Sona nodded, adjusting her glasses. "And I have no doubt that they will also go after Kiryu-san as well, regardless if she is directly involved or not."

"...yeah, so when would the escort be ready again?" Aika answered slightly fearful now. Not that he couldn't blame her. The idea of a psychopath out for their blood was highly disconcerning. At least now, however, Issei had a fairly good idea why Rias and Sona offered to erase her memories. Obviously, this knowledge and forewarning would be hard to swallow, with no small amount of paranoia. As they say, "ignorance is bliss." It was a way of being kind, he supposed.

"Relax, Kiryu-san." Kiba smiled widely. "No harm will come to you or Hyoudou-san while you are in our care." In the background, Issei could swear he saw quite a few girls in the Student Council, particularly one of the more 'developed' ones, swooning over his declaration. Hell, he could practically see hearts dancing in their eyes, making him cringe.

Why did all the good looking bastards get all the luck?!

* * *

Following Raynare and her cohorts capture, the few loyal Stray Exorcists that remained in Kuoh, in spite of the dangers involved, the church had been heavily dismantled. The Devils had ensured that it could no longer be used as a base of operations, and dismantled the holy grounds upon which it stood. It was no longer a House of God, and therefore, whatever blessings it may have had could no longer be sustained. Not that it would have mattered. The church had long since fallen out of operation, and without prayers being offered in it daily, the holy blessings had long since waned.

Now, the Stray Exorcists had gathered in the forests that lay behind the church. Several bounded fields were erected to prevent them from being discovered by the Devils that ruled this territory. Their numbers were somewhere between forty to fifty, all of which somewhat competent in their respective fields. They were all armed to the teeth: holy water, light blades, crosses, guns loaded with blessed shells, etc.

To Freed Sellzan, however, such numbers were, in his own words, rather shitty. "What the actual shit, Lint?" he questioned the woman sitting over by a tree, fiddling with the rifle in her hands. "How come we don't have as many meatbags?! We used to have over a hundred!"

Lint Sellzan, Freed's "sister," had the same face as him, if only much more feminine and untouched by bouts of insanity or crazed anger. Her hair was a mix of black and white, and her eyes possessed a red shade. Her skin was slightly pale, but not enough to be considered unhealthy. "Not all of us here were loyal to Lady Raynare, brother." she told him without looking at him, giving her gun a quick check before going back to working on it. "In fact, over half of our number is like me, if you have forgotten already. Also, please be quiet. If you continue to scream profanities like a sailor, the Devils will hear us, Bounded Field or no."

"Oh, let those bitches and whores hear me!" Freed scoffed before he raised his voice, screaming at no in particular. "You hear me, you Shitty Devils?! You ain't nothing but a bunch of bitches and whores and cunts in need of a good fucking!"

Lint sighed, shaking her head. "Why do I even bother..." she muttered to herself before she noticed one of the exorcists approaching. "Report."

The man nodded. "We've received new orders from our superior." he said brisquely. "We're to kill the humans Issei Hyoudou and Aika Kiryu, and capture Tamamo-no-Mae, as well as the nun Asia Argento."

"He wants us to capture that woman?" she asked with a mirthless smile. "It seems our owner truly does consider us expendable. No human on this Earth, save perhaps those group of so-called Heroes in the Khaos Brigade, can hope to match the Sun." Sighing, she shook her head and stood up, fastening her rifle over her shoulder. "But, we cannot go against him." She turned to Freed and called out. "Brother! We've received new orders from Lord Kokabiel."

"'bout fucking time." Freed spat. "So, what's the word?"

"We are to kill two humans, both of which are affiliated with the newly revived Avatar of Amaterasu-no-Mikoto. Our original plan hasn't changed in the least, however. We still have orders to capture Asia Argento and remove her Sacred Gear."

"Good! I've always wanted to take that Holy bitch. All I want to do is talk and shoot her. Maybe skull fuck her corpse a few times while I stab her."

"As vulgar and uncouth as ever..."

* * *

In the short time, that being two days, that Asia Argento had come under the care of Issei Hyoudou and Aika Kiryu, she was hopelessly confused, yet also touched by the concern that a mere bunch of strangers had shown such concern and care for her. She had no idea what was even happening when she was assigned to this Church. All she knew was that when she got there, Fallen Angels were trying to kill the people that led her there. They fled, and more Fallen Angels showed up. Fortunately, they were saved by nice people. And now here she was.

Now she was inside the Hyoudou household lost in her thoughts.

Aika had told her that she would let her stay at her place until the whole thing blew over, but once she found out that Asia only had a meager handful of belongings, the girl decided to hold off on her coming to her house and decided to get her the necessary items, and perhaps spruce up her future room. Asia was quite grateful to her for that, though she initially tried to tell her it was fine. She was given some yen before she was shipped off to Japan, so she could easily purchase a room at some cheap motel.

Unsurprisingly, though, both Issei and Aika had put their foot down. Now, she was effectively grounded until they purchased all of her necessities before she was allowed to move in with Aika. At least until Aika's parents returned. After that, the girl would have to explain why Asia was with them in the guest room.

It was all so surreal to her. They were very nice to her.

...very much different than her treatment in Italy.

She closed her eyes and shut off the memories from her mind. They had been dark times for her, especially when people had begun accusing her, but she promised herself that she would brave those times. That God had not yet abandoned her. And even if he had, she would still move forward. She will not give in to despair. She will follow though with her beliefs no matter what.

Idly, she grasped the cross that hung around her neck. Her only real link to her old home. So much time had passed since she had left, and she had yet to forget everything that had transpired. Some days were harsh, but others times had been filled with some warmth, especially when someone came and told her that she would be leaving the village, tasked with attending another church. She didn't know who they were, but they were among the few that showed her even a modicum of kindness. So she whole-heartedly accepted. And then there she was, on her way to Japan. Then previous circumstances took place, then here she was. She wondered if God was guiding her, and if so, then for what purpose? Was she destined to meet Issei and Aika? Did the Father have a plan in mind with her, as many believed He did for them?

Sighing softly, Asia unclasped her cross and looked up, only to let out a cute yelp when she found a curious-looking Tamamo in front of her, studying her features intently. "M-Miss Mae!" she cried, blushing. "I-I'm terribly sorry! I didn't hear you coming in!"

"It's fine, it's fine~" She waved off her worry. "Don't worry about it. And please, call me Tamamo! Miss Mae makes me sound so old."

"O-okay then. Miss T-Tamamo..."

Tamamo nodded with approval. "W-was there something you needed?" Panic rushed through her when a thought occurred. "O-oh no! I haven't done anything wrong, have I?!"

"Oh heavens no, I wanted to see how you were doing. My Husband did ask me to look after you while he is at school." the woman told her with a small smile. "That, and I was quite curious about you."

"E-eh? Me?"

"Yes. After all...you seemed to have attracted the interest of my dear husband...and looking at you now, I can see why..."

"Eh?"

"You're just so _adorable_!" Before Asia could react, Tamamo pulled the girl in for a tight hug, rubbing her cheek up against hers. "You're so cute~! Oh, if only you were a plushie! Then I could keep you forever!"

"E-eh?! B-b-b-b-but...!"

This situation was quite foreign to her. Never once had she been put into something like this. On the one hand, she felt quite warm, being held like this. It felt like she was sitting out in the sun and its rays were washing up against her pleasantly. On the other hand, the affection and attention she was receiving from her was quite different from anything she's ever felt before. She was often admired and complimented from afar. Never this in close proximity. And she was certainly never held quite like this. The preacher that had taken care of her prior to her becoming a so-called Holy Maiden had taught her self defense in the event someone with impure intentions attempted to grab her, but no matter how much she struggled, Tamamo's grip was like that of iron. Not that she could resist for much longer, anyway. Slowly, but surely, Asia was turning into putty in her hands. Her resistance was melting away.

"I must say, when I first saw you with my darling Ise, I was quite worried you would steal him away from me." Tamamo remarked as she continued to cuddle with the poor girl, who's head was beginning to steam. "But now, I just want to keep you for myself~ You're just so adorable, Asia-chan~" Much to Asia's relief (and disappointment), Tamamo relinquished her hold on the girl, allowing her to sit back down on the couch. "On a more serious note, though, I'd like to ask you something."

"W-what is it?"

"Those rings on your fingers." Tamamo pointed to the items in question, sitting on her respective index fingers. "They don't feel like normal accessories. What are they?"

"Ah, these are part of my Sacred Gear." Asia told her.

"Sacred Gear, you say? And what does it do?"

"My Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing, is a gift from the Lord. With it, I can heal any wound outside of lost limbs and diseases."

Tamamo's eyes widened considerably. Had she not known any better, she would have considered that to be a blessing. However, she thought otherwise when she saw the shadowed cast of lingering doubt in Asia's own words, reflected in her bright green eyes. It was a stark contrast to the warm and gentle smile she otherwise had when revealing its nature and ability. Pursing her lips, she sat down on the chair opposing the sofa, crossing a leg over the other.

"...you don't sound happy about that, though." she remarked, startling Asia. "For a moment, you looked quite sad when you told me about what it could do. Do you perhaps hate your Sacred Gear's powers?"

Asia shook her head. "N-no, far from it!" she insisted fiercely. "In fact, I'm grateful that God was graceful enough to allow me to possess this power. B-but..." She bit her lip, eyes glancing down to her lap. "My Sacred Gear... At first, myself and many others believed it could only heal humans, as we are created in his Divine image. But, that wasn't the case. My Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing..." A saddened look crossed Asia's expressions as she cradled her hands in each other, thumbs running over the rings representing her gift. "...it allows me to heal all manner of entities. Including non-humans, such as Devils."

"I sense a story behind this..."

Asia nodded slowly. Slowly, with a heavy heart, she began to explain to Tamamo her past. She had been abandoned, left on the doorstep of an orphanage in Italy. She had been raised and taught in the house of God, thus when she was old enough, she was officially made a member of the Catholic Church. It was also around this time that her Sacred Gear had begun to manifest. The first incident occurred when a group of exorcists had returned from a mission, severely wounded. One of them had even been fatally injured by a Stray Devil. The doctors had told them that he wouldn't have survived the night. When Asia had tended to him in the middle of the night, hoping to alleviate the pain, Twilight Healing had emerged and healing the man's wounds. Come morning, the exorcist was as right as rain.

News of this miracle had spread like wild fire. Before long, Asia was placed upon a pedestal, proclaimed as a Holy Maiden to the villagers and to the men and women of the Church. For a time, she was loved and held dearly. Asia cared little for the attention, instead focusing on her duties and prayed to the souls who were sent to Heaven and for the safety of those who left for their mission in the name of God. She also tended to the wounded, using her Sacred Gear to do what she could for them. Such actions only served to increase the praise she received. The Bishop in charge of the Church in the village, in particular, seemed to take great pleasure in her presence. She never understood why, though she had guessed that it was perhaps due to the fact that many of the villagers had taken to paying more and more donations.

And then, one night, Asia discovered a Devil outside the village. He had been terribly wounded to the point where he could hardly speak or breathe. Though he was an enemy of the Church, Asia had only seen a poor soul in need of healing.

The people of the Church, however, saw this differently. What they initially thought to be a virtue blessed upon those with a pure heart, they later made out to be a heretical item belonging to a twisted soul. Before long, fellow Fathers and Sisters spurned her, calling her a witch. The people of the village treated her with harsh words and scorn. Some had even taken to refusing to allow her to set foot within their stores. Only a mere few kind hearted souls refused to see her as a witch, but the minority was stamped out.

In the end, Asia Argento was excommunicated and sent away from the village, never to return. Asia had been by herself, relying only on the few items she was able to take with her and the generous donations of the previously mentioned kind hearted souls. At some point, she had met a stranger, who had offered her sanctuary in Japan as well as a clean slate, leading to her appointment in tending to a church that was now run down and dilapidated in the small, rural town of Kuoh.

By the end of it, Asia was left slightly out of breath. She had to admit, it was rather strange of her to tell a stranger whom she had just barely met her life story. Especially since they were a youkai. She had nothing against the woman, but she couldn't help but feel a bit cautious.

Unknown to Asia, this was one of the side-effects of Tamamo's prowess. If she willed it, she could subconsciously compel someone to reveal things to her. Things from the bottom of their hearts. Tamamo herself was aware of this power, but she didn't quite have a full handle on it. Thus, there would be times when she unintentionally used it on a person, such as now. Her _charm_ had more or less made Asia tell her everything about her past.

When she looked up, Asia blinked in confusion, finding a teary-eyed Tamamo.

"Y-y-y-you..." Tamamo sobbed before she leaped at Asia, pulling her into an even tighter embrace. "You poor thing! _Uwaaaaah_ ~!"

Asia panicked, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. "M-Miss Tamamo! You're squeezing t-too tight!"

"I'm back!" Issei called out as he stepped into the living room. Unknown to either girl, a second male had also entered, that being Yuuto Kiba. Upon seeing the two girls, however, they blinked in confusion. "Uh... What'd we miss?"

"D-Darling! Listen to this!"

* * *

"THAT'S TOTAL BULLSHIT!"

Kiba winced, rubbing his ears. "While I don't disagree with you, Hyoudou-kun, could you perhaps tone it down?" he asked kindly. "I imagine even your neighbors can hear you."

"Oh, they can deal with a little hollering!" Tamamo huffed before she narrowed her eyes. "And what, exactly, are you doing here, Devil? Has your wench of a Master still not learned her lesson yet?!"

"Oh no, I'm just here to guard your husband." Kiba replied with a disarming smile.

Unfortunately, it only seemed to make Tamamo's mood sour even further. "Don't smile like that around me." she told him coldly. "You look too much like that Seimei bastard when you do that."

"I-I'm sorry...?"

"I mean, your smile, while supposedly kind and disarming, is as fake as moon is ever changing. You're wearing a mask to hide something else." She spoke seriously.

Yuuto winced as her words had struck a vital spot. His eyes darkened considerably for a fraction of a moment before reverting back to the mask he wore previously. "I...I apologize. I'll try to smile more genuinely then, Tamamo-sama."

"Hmph."

The fox didn't believe him for a second and decided to ignore him. She then turned her attention to Asia and Issei, the latter of whom looked rather livid once she told him about Asia's circumstances. She had half a mind to go to Italy and make those idiots pay and reduce that village to ash. How dare they make a cute, innocent little thing suffer like that?! Especially when she wanted nothing from them in return?! Ungrateful degenerates! The whole lot of them!

"No wonder Gremory-senpai and Kaichou don't trust the church." Issei grumbled under his breath. "They're a bunch of bastards."

"Please don't say that, Hyoudou-san!" Asia pleaded.

"How can you say that? They put you on a pedestal, then abandoned you when you did something they didn't agree with! They betrayed you! And if I remember from that Comedy story, I'm pretty sure there's a place in hell where those bastards are heading to!"

"I must agree with Hyoudou-kun, Argento-san." Kiba said, his voice strangely cold. "People like that are absolute scum."

"You sound as if you speak from experience, Devil." Tamamo noted, not missing the edge in his voice as he slandered the church.

The blonde offered a sad smile, bitter and spiteful. "A long story, I'm afraid."

"Even so..." Asia insisted. "They were still the people who took care of me. I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for them."

"B-but...!"

"I'm sorry. I understand that I was cast aside by them...I cannot bring myself to hate them. They have shown me kindness once, kindness that I will never forget. The Lord blessed me with a chance to experience it, as well as this gift. I will always cherish them."

Issei bit his lip. He wanted to argue, but... The way Asia spoke, it was really hard to try and make her see reason. No, it was more like she knew what kind of men they were, but she couldn't stand the idea of hating them. Yes, they treated her horribly, but they were also the people who raised her and gave her a place in the world, even if they did pull the rug out from under her.

The brunette hated this. Those bastards betrayed her the moment they realized she wasn't a 'Holy Maiden'. They didn't deserve her forgiveness!

Sighing and taking a sharp intake of breath, Issei tried to calm himself down and let out a deep exhale. Seeing his shoulders relax somewhat, Tamamo chose to change the subject. "Ise-kun, why did you bring a Devil home with you?" she asked, concerned for him. "He didn't charm you, did he? Yes, he may be quite handsome, but..."

"W-what?!" A look of horror crossed Issei's face before he loudly exclaimed, "Oh _hell_ no! I wouldn't be caught dead with that handsome bastard! The only reason he's here is because I thought I'd make him some dinner as thanks for looking after me and Aika on our way back from school! That's it! End of story!"

Kiba laughed light-heartedly. "My my, dost thou protest too much?" he asked with a joking grin. "While I like do have a preference towards those of the fairer sex, I wouldn't be adversed to broadening my horizons. Provided I have Tamamo-sama's permission first."

"I WOULDN'T BE INTERESTED IN YOU, EVEN IF I DID SWING THAT WAY!" Issei cried in outrage.

Dinner, as Tamamo was delighted to learn an hour later, was a truly delightful event.

* * *

Night had descended upon the town of Kuoh. And unbeknownst to its citizens, a group of individuals dressed in black observed it from the hill that overlooked it. The same hill upon which the ruined church rested. At the head of the group, Freed grinned wickedly as he turned to address his fellow exorcists.

"Okay, you fuckers! Listen up! We're after some little pansy ass cocksucker named Issei Hyoudou and a little whore named Aika Kiryu! The nun we're supposed to nab is with Hyoudou! You shank his ass and take the girl! If even one of you screws this up, I'll kill ya and then feed your corpse to the dogs back home, ya understand?!" The group nodded together solemnly. "Oh, and that cocksucker's got a bitch in heat by the name of Tamamo with him! She's dangerous, but the boss wants her alive!"

With a fanged smile, he turned back to the town. "Now, come on! Let's go fuck ourselves up a couple of sluts!"

* * *

"My word. And here I thought only the Scottish or sailors could be so foul mouthed." Zelretch remarked with a frown. Sitting on the table and positioned next to the vampire was the white creature from earlier, Fou, who let out a small noise of agreement. "It's quite disturbing, really. He reminds me of that lad from the Fourth Grail War. Well, minus the raging profanities and vulgarity, as well as the sexual tension."

"Fou!"

"I agree." Leaning back, Zelretch folded his hands and narrowed his eyes. "Let's hope the boy will be careful. Not that I have any doubt: he does have the aid of that beautiful fox."

* * *

 _In a space where nothing and everything existed, there rested a single place. A barren land, littered with the bodies of the dearly parted. Soldiers lay here upon this place, their souls having long since passed. Stabbed into the ground were many weapons. Axes. Swords. Spears. Arrows. Maces. Halberds._

 _Yet the most profound item was in the center, standing as a testament. There was no figure next to this item, for it stood far away from the carnage and bloodshed. It was untouched by soil, dirt or blood. It was pure and pristine, like a shining visage. A beacon of hope._

 _It was a flag, hoisted on a pole that was speared deep into the ground. Marked upon this flag was the insignia of a proud country, who fought and bled in the name of God._

 _It was the flag of Orléans._

 _A single figure, alive and breathing, kneeled before the flag, hands clasped deeply in prayer and head bowed. Their features were hidden by the shadows that blanketed the sky. The world around them was dark, hidden out of sight. As the clouds shifted, however, rays of light began to break through. As it did, a change began to occur._

 _For the first time in over 600 years since they had passed and entered upon the realm known only as the Throne of Heroes, their eyes opened..._

* * *

Night 5: END

* * *

 _Next Time!_

Lint: Hello, Hyoudou Issei-san. My name is Lint Sellzan. If you would be so kind, could you maybe hand us over Asia Argento-chan before we're forced to kill you?

Issei: Get away from her!

Freed: Come and get her, lover boy!

Kiba: H-Hyoudou-kun?

 **Night 6: Boiled Over**

Issei: The next time... I'm going to take your head from your shoulders, you shitty priest!

* * *

Author's Notes: I've said it before in my AN on Metastability, but god dammit, I'll say it again!

FUCK. ULCERS.

Also, four hundred chapters?! Okay, this is getting ridiculous! I know this story is popular by some strange coincidence, but come on!

...wait, why am I complaining? More reviews is good. More reviews keeps me motivated. And it makes me want to continue this story.

We're close to wrapping up the Holy Maiden arc, by the way. I'd say, next chapter and the chapter after next will finish it. And by the little teaser at the end, you all know who is coming up. And be honest, who else did you think it would be? However, unfortunately, she will only be appearing in the chapter after next, when all the fighting is said and done.

Now, regarding Lint being here. If you pay attention to her dialogue, you might be able to guess why she's there, and why she doesn't seem so enthusiastic about the whole thing compared to he brother. Once again, I have to ask: I know she's a test tube baby and all, and therefore not actually Freed's sibling, but good god. The fact that she is somewhat related to him is disturbing.

Thankfully, though, nobody stuck their dick in crazy twice. At least...not the sexy and good kind of crazy.

And you guys also got to see a little brief glimpse into Tamamo's inner workings. Namely, in that the Tamamo Nine, will working together, aren't quite united, especially if what Tamamo-vitch said is of any indication. For the record, however, it's not entirely confirmed if the Lost Belt Assassin in F/GO is indeed Tamamo-vitch. I'm fairly certain it is, but unless the devs are gonna pull one over is, Tamamo-vitch will be the "Assassin" persona that makes up Tamamo-no-Mae.

And before you ask, yes. Any one of the Tamamo Nine can take the driver seat. Let that sink into your brain for a bit.

Now, regarding Issei... If you pay close attention to what he says in the preview, someone of keen insight might see where I'm going with this. I already said that Issei wasn't going to be weak forever, but I'm not planning on making him OP. Oh hell no. Despite having the power to revive Heroic Spirits in full, he's still human. I would consider him to be within the threshold of "Badass Normal" at best.

But I'll save the surprise for the next chapter.

Regarding the harem thing...now, harem is more or less one of the pieces of DxD, but imagine my surprise when it turns out that the reception to the idea was pretty damned mixed. Now, in the poll, Harem won by a fucking landslide, but your feedback on the matter made me decide to question otherwise. Now that I think more on it, I can't remember ever reading a single story in which Issei has only had one love interest. Because of your guys' feedback, I've decided to think a little more on the harem idea. We'll wait a bit and see if I actually decide to go through with it.

If, and this is a bigass _IF_ , I do decide to go through with the idea, I must make one thing clear. Asia WILL NOT be a part of it. The reason for it is, because, reading a few fanfics and re-reading the beginning of the Light Novels... Well, their relationship just strikes me as something else. And I've only briefly seen this idea used once before it devolved back into lover territory.

But as I said. It's an if. So for the forseeable future until I decide otherwise, its strictly Issei/Tamamo.

...when you think about it, though, Issei is technically already involved in a harem. Except the harem is just nine aspects of the same woman. Huh. The things Nasuverse makes you think.

With THAT out of the way...who here wants to bet that Issei will be taking on that shitty priest?

Before I end this, I want to give everyone a bit of news. I've recently made a new story titled, "World Without Logos." Its a crossover with Hellsing and Seraph of the End, in which Yuu becomes Alucard's fledgling. If you haven't read it yet, please do so and give me some feedback. I've also rewritten a story you guys have been bugging me about: Highschool DxD ALT. Its been revived as High School DxD Alternative, with a much better story and a new characterization of Vali, though he's still the same lovable battle maniac we all know and love. Check it out if you haven't already.

Well, with that said, I am out of here! Please tell me what you guys think about this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one!

Adios~!


	6. Night 6

_...you know, thinking back on it now, I never did find out what it meant to have this weird power._

 _I didn't know why I had it. All I knew was that I could somehow bring back dead people. Like Tama-chan._

 _But, there was a lot more I was going to find out about this power. And it all started when those people came to my house and tried to kill me._

 _Whatever happened to my normal life?_

 _"Pardon me for saying this, Hyoudou-kun, but I'm afraid you've never had a normal life, considering your...eccentricity."_

 _URUSAI, YOU DAMN BISHONEN!_

* * *

 **High School DxD X Fate/stay night Crossover:**

 **"Fate/stay night: The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven"**

* * *

Night 6: Boiled Over

After dinner, Aika had chosen to stay over and sleep with Asia in the guest room. Issei had offered the girls his room while he take up residence out on the couch, but the perverted girl was insistent on it so he didn't push it any further. As he sat in his room, sitting on his bed and staring up at the ceiling, he reflected back on everything that had been happening in his life so far.

"...when did my life turn into a light novel?" he couldn't help but ask the universe.

Seriously. The way things were going, he couldn't help but feel like his life had turned into something so weird and bizarre it belonged to a manga or something. A power to somehow revive someone who was dead? The supernatural world and mythology was real? His classmates were secretly demons in hiding?

When did the world stop making sense?

It hadn't been a few days since he was nothing but a normal high school student. But that seemed so long ago given what happened these past few days. He's nearly died several times, and learned he has some sort of power to revive the dead.

Now that he thought about it...it all started after he had that weird, Kingdom Hearts-like dream, didn't it? He couldn't quite remember, but weren't there cards involved? He shrugged. It didn't really matter at this point. He just wondered how things will turn out now.

Especially when he learned that more things like this will occur in the future. Still, maybe things would change for the better, now that the Fallen Angels were dealt with. Raynare was captured along with the rest of her friends and Asia was safe.

"All I really have to worry about is Shitori-kaichou and exams and I should be fine." Issei muttered to himself as he laid down on his bed. "And dealing with Tama-chan..."

Honestly speaking, he wasn't sure what would happen to him first. Death by sexiness overload or loss of his virginity. He was sincerely hoping that the former would only happen after they 'consumated' the marriage. If only he didn't have those damn nosebleeds! Why did Tamamo have to be so-so perfect?! She was everything he was looking for! Sweet, kind, considerate, had an awesome rack and was the ultimate housewife!

And she more or less declared him hers. And kind of crushed his dream of having a harem.

"Then again, I doubt there's a girl who can compare to Tama-chan." the brunette chuckled. "Kind of hard to compare yourself to the freaking Sun Goddess' avatar."

Still, he doubted school was going to be the same now that he knew his classmates were devils. Plus, he was sure Motohama and Matsuda were still pissed with him. In his defense, it wasn't his fault he scored Tamamo and then ended up getting married like several years earlier than most people. And Aika would no doubt be teasing him to the end of his days.

And Asia...

'She'd probably be living in that crummy church.' His face turned bitter. He had not forgotten the poor girl's circumstances. He was still angry that those old bastards had thrown her out just because she healed a devil. He was tempted to buy a ticket to Italy, find the bastards and punch them in the face. 'That place is hardly in the best condition for her. And knowing her, she'd probably try and refuse to be a burden if we tried to offer her a place to stay, even if we insisted.'

He wanted to help Asia. He really did. But what was he supposed to do? How could he help her? Growling in frustration, Issei threw his head further into his pillow. This was so aggravating. Maybe he'd think of something tomorrow.

* * *

"Are we all set?"

"Yes, Lint. We're all prepared."

The silver-haired girl nodded as she surveyed their troops. They were in small number. Little over a hundred, but quite a few of their members were on par with even the Templar Knights - some of the best holy agents the Vatican had to offer. Of course, they weren't well-equipped. All they had were holy sabers and a few blessed guns. Aside from that, this was not something they were prepared to do.

Especially not when one of their targets was protected by the avatar of a deity. It was just another reason why Lint resented her employer and wanted nothing more than to take a page from her "brother" and tell him to shove it.

Sadly, she wouldn't get very far. She had to be the obedient slave and follow orders.

"You all know the plan." Lint addressed the Stray Exorcists before her. "We split into three teams. One team will harass the Devils and garner their attention. The second team will distract Tamamo-no-Mae and the third team will extract the target and kill Issei Hyoudou. I won't lie. Many of you will die."

"We mean no offense, Lady Sellzan." one exorcists cut in somberly. "But we are already dead men walking."

Lint smiled back, equally as somber. That was quite true... They were dead men walking, weren't they?

Regardless, even the dead have a role to play.

* * *

Another dream. No different than the one from before.

Issei opened his eyes and once again found himself in a Kingdom Hearts-esque like place. The world was consumed in black, the only source of light being the stained glass platform beneath his feet. The design was still the same as before as well, though he noticed that it had changed slightly. Sitting at the bottom of the platform's mural was Tamamo-no-Mae, a peaceful smile on her face while her eyes were closed, numerous fox tails curled around her.

"This place again..."

He never expected to have the same dream again. He had to admit though, the feel for this place was so soothing and comforting, like the actual Kingdom Hearts game.

But why was he having it again? he thought it was a one time thing after those cards...wait, the cards!

Now he remembered! he had a pack of cards with him, but they disappeared somewhere. Where did he lose them?! Scratching his head, he looked around to see if there was anything different. Everything seemed the same as before.

Well, except for the fluffy white thing sitting next to his foot.

"Fou!"

"...eh?"

"Fou!" The tiny creature chirped again as it nuzzled it's head against his leg. Now that Issei got a better look, it resembled a fluffy hybrid of a puppy and a squirrel. Or maybe a kitten and a squirrel.

Either way, it was adorable as hell. "This dream gets weirder and weirder." Issei muttered as he knelt down and rubbed his head against the little creature's head, eliciting a pleasant noise from the strange animal. "Still, you're pretty cute little critter. I doubt you understand me, but do you have any idea what this place is?"

"Fou! Kyu kyu!" The little creature chirped as it nodded its head.

"Wait, you can understand me?!"

"Fou!" It nodded again.

Issei sweatdropped. What a smart creature! "Okay, then..." he said slowly. "What is this place? No, wait. Even if you understand me, I can't understand you."

The creature let out a chirp before it darted off, right where the staircase was. "Fou!" it called out to him, as if beckoning the brunette to follow. "Fou, fou!"

"You want me to follow you?"

"Fou~"

"Okay, then..."

He complied and jogged after the creature as it scurried up the stairs. Eventually, they made it to the next level. Once more, he found himself standing before the enormous gate, marked by the many various individuals. However, he did notice how the Caster statue had suffered some damage. "It's cracked." he muttered to himself, rubbing his chin. "When did that happen?"

It was certainly strange, but he wasn't about to question it further. This was a dream, after all. Admittedly a very weird one. Recalling what he felt the last time he was near this bizarre gate, he walked over and pressed his palm against it. A strange warmth washed over him, comforting almost.

And like before, he could feel several pulsating beats emanating from behind it.

"Those sound like heartbeats..." Issei said aloud in wonder. "What is this door, anyway?"

"That, my fine young man, is the Gateway to the Root." a voice called out to him from behind. Issei turned around and found an elderly man, cheeks practically hanging off of his bones and wearing a fancy set of robes standing there with a small grin. "It's also been called the Door to Akasha and the Heaven's Gate. Just think of it as a door."

"Who're you?"

"Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. Call me Zelretch. Pleasure to meet you, Hyoudou."

"...this is seriously one weird dream."

Zelretch chuckled. "It is a dream, but at the same time, it isn't. So, tell me, how's living with Tamamo-no-Mae? Lost your virginity yet?"

"Wh-what?!" Issei gawked at the personal question. Wait, how did he...? "Wait, how do you know Tamamo-chan?"

"I know quite a bit." Zelretch replied with a smile. "For example, why you were able to resurrect Tamamo-no-Mae. Plus, I'm the only real reason you were accepted into Kuoh in the first place."

Issei blinked. Wait, what? "Mind clarifying for me?"

"To put it simply, I'm from another world." Zelretch said, causing Issei to develop question marks that danced atop his head. "The same world as Tamamo, actually. One where the Age of Gods ended quite a long time ago. And, of course, where they were hardly a bunch of egotistical brats."

"...huh?"

"I suppose I'll have to start at the beginning." The old man waved a hand. Suddenly, with a poof of smoke, a table and chairs appeared. Zelretch then took a seat in one of them. "Take a seat. We have quite a bit to discuss."

* * *

"This week has been nothing short of tiring..."

It was very rare for anyone in the Student Council to hear their King complain. In fact, the only time Tsubaki had ever seen her like this was usually she had dealt with her troublesome and overly excitable older sister. Then again, she couldn't blame her. She had managed to avoid being reduced to ash when she and Rias had unknowingly stepped on a landmine and had Tamamo-no-Mae at their necks.

Even now, she could hardly believe it. The Avatar of Amaterasu was alive. And more importantly, she was somehow eloped with one of their school's resident perverts.

"Are you okay, Kaichou?" Saji, being the lovestruck idiot he was, asked kindly. Tsubaki smiled thinly. Boy had a puppy dog crush if she ever saw one. At first, she did have some reservations, but lately she had saw how well-mannered the blonde was.

Well, except for his dream of impregnating Sona and then marrying her. She wasn't quite sure what to think about that. In fact, she wanted to erase the thought from her mind. There were some things that were better left untouched.

Sona lifted her head, her eyes slightly faded. "I am fine, Saji." she told her Pawn. "Just...exhausted."

"I bet." Meguri remarked. "Still, to think that the strongest youkai ever is married to Issei Hyoudou of all people..."

It was definitely a surprise for all of them when the news circulated. Especially since said declaration came after the fact that Tamamo was a hairs breadth away from killing all the Devils in the territory. Thankfully Issei was able to prevent her from doing anything rash.

It was something to be thankful of, that was for sure.

"I still don't get why someone so important is doing here." Saji said, scrunching his brow in thought. "I mean, the Shinto Faction, from what Kaichou told me when she inducted me into the Peerage, is backing the Youkai Faction, right?"

Sona nodded. "That's correct."

"And Amaterasu-no-Mikoto is leading the Shinto Faction ever since Izanagi-no-Mikoto disappeared."

"Again, correct."

"And Tamamo-no-Mae is Amaterasu-sama's Avatar, right? So, why is she hanging around here and not in Kyoto?"

"That is the question that is perplexing all of us." Sona answered. "From what my sister informed me, Amaterasu has not left Kyoto at all within the past week, yet her avatar still exists right here."

It was certainly strange, as were her words. Though she would admit she didn't fully understand what it meant to be a deity's avatar and envoy, she did know that any knowledge the god pertained would be transferred over to the avatar. She would have been suspicious of Tamamo being an impostor, but the power she displayed shattered that theory to bits. There was also her mannerisms and threats against them for believing that they had taken a piece of Japan without permission.

Was it possible that Tamamo-no-Mae's revival into the world was more complicated? Was it even possible for her to be resurrected? Necromancy was possible, yes, but reviving the dead always came with some form of drawback. Loss of personality, deformity, inhibitions, weakened power, etc.

But was it possible to revive a god's avatar?

 _'This would require further investigation...'_

"On the subject of one of the school's pervs, he was accepted because he got a letter of recommendation, right?" Saji asked out of the blue, making Sona blink. "Some big shot magician?"

The younger Sitri scoffed. "Lord Zelretch is hardly a magician." she said, adjusting her glasses. "He's one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. Not only that, but he's well-regarded in the supernatural world, particularly in western Europe. However, one reason for his fame is also his enigma."

"Enigma?" Tomoe asked curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, no one knows where he came from. He suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Normally, someone with no background would be under heavy suspicion, but somehow, in a single meeting with the head of the Mephistopheles Head, he impressed the old man enough to the point where he named him Grandmaster of the Mage's Association."

"SERIOUSLY?! He was made into Grandmaster?! Just how powerful is this guy?!"

Ruruko shrugged. "No one really knows, just like how nobody knows where he comes from. In fact, hardly anybody's ever seen the man in person. No one in the Mage's Association has ever actually met the man in person."

"What?!" Saji felt his jaw become intimate with the floor. No one had ever seen what this Zelretch guy looked like? That was crazy! "Then what's the point of having a seat of power if he doesn't attend things like parties or meetings?! I've heard of hikkemoris, but this guy sounds like he's something else!"

* * *

"Achoo!"

"You okay there, old man?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Some brat is probably just talking about me again." Zelretch said, wiping the snot from his nose. "So, boyo, did you get all that?"

Honestly speaking, Issei didn't really understand most of what the guy had just said. Something he made clear to the man as he sheepishly scratched his cheek. "Sorry, ojii-san, but all I got out of that conversation is that I can apparently revive the dead with this Heaven's Feel thing you were talking about, and that it's apparently something that belongs to another world."

"Well, can't blame you for not getting it." Zelretch shrugged. "It is rather hard for someone so normal. Let me simplify it for you, then." Issei nodded gratefully. "As you now know, the Heaven's Feel is the power to resurrect any soul without a negative consequence. It isn't considered necromancy, either, as when you revive a soul, you do so in its whole entirety. Necromancy usually taints or corrupts the soul being revived, but the Heaven's Feel, or Third Magic, is different. The subject is revived in their fullest state, as pure and clean as they were when they were alive. The Third Magic is also one of the True Magics that were lost to Magus thousands of years ago."

"Magus? Not Magi or magician?"

Zelretch chuckled. "Magician, or Sorcerer, is usually restricted to Magus who have obtained the power of a True Magic. I myself am a holder of a True Magic. Specifically, the Second Magic: Kaleidoscope, the operation of parallel worlds. Of course, given my long years, I've managed to also sneak my way into other alternate realities as well. Yours being one of them."

"What's the different between alternate and parallel?"

"Let me put it to you this way. In your world, all things mythological exist even in the present day, and irregularities such as the Sacred Gears also exist. In my world, the Gods have long since died or disappeared, and with it their influence. We do not have Sacred Gears, and magic is nowhere near as prominent as it once was. There are no devils or angels, but other supernatural creatures also exist. Some of them are classified as Phantasmal Beasts."

"Okay..." Issei said slowly, coming to an understanding.

"Parallel worlds, while different, share major characteristics. Alternate worlds, however, are radically different from each other. Sure, they may have some differences, but no two worlds are the same. Even if they're going through a apocalyptic event, they'll be different."

"Like, nuclear winter vs zombie apocalypse different?"

"Exactly that! In some cases, an alien invasion. But that's beside the point. The point is, the worlds you and I hail from are alternate. Even then, you possess the Third magic from my reality at your disposal."

Issei cocked his head. "Wait... If this Heaven's Feel thing is from your world, how'd I get it?"

"Occasionally, there are cracks in the walls, so to speak. Tiny holes between worldly boundaries. Not too long ago, there was an event in a parallel world from one of my own worlds that resulted in human history being burnt to ashes, and following that, the world being obliterated by an otherworldly force. If I were to guess, some properties from one of the parallel worlds I mentioned seeped into your world. As a result, rather than obtain a Sacred Gear, you were gifted with the Heaven's Feel. A rare feet, mind you. In order to obtain one of the True Magics, you'd have to resist being assimilated into the Root of Akasha."

"Root of what now?"

"A story for another time." Zelretch answered, making Issei frown. Then a thought occurred to him. Since he came from an alternate world, and he apparently had the power to look into other worlds, then does that mean- "And before you ask, yes. There was a world where you became a Harem King."

"How the-?!"

The old man smirked. "Boy, it's written all over your face, plain as day." Issei blushed madly and turned away in embarrassment. Was he honestly that transparent? Wait, nevermind that! He just said in one world he accomplished his dream! Hell yes! Issei Hyoudou had scored his childhood dream! No, wait. Now he felt jealous of himself. Dammit! Lucky bastard! "Speaking of harems... You haven't mentioned bringing that childhood dream of yours to Tamamo, have you?"

"N-no..."

"Good. Otherwise, you wouldn't have any opportunities to make children. She boasts quite the killer technique, that Polygamy Castration Fist of hers."

Issei immediately yelped and used his hands to shield his family jewels. She really had a technique like THAT?! Then it was a good thing he never told her! The last thing he wanted was to lose his "little brother"! Seeing his reaction, Zelretch laughed, much to his chagrin. "It ain't funny, you old goat!" he hissed. "Anyway, back to this Third Magic thing! If it lets me bring back the dead and the Tama-chan I brought back to life was apparently from your world, how'd I manage that?"

"Simple. Through the cracks I told you about earlier. You've more or less connected yourself to the Root of Akasha itself, boyo. In a way, you're far more than just a simple human." the old man answered. "Of course, even I don't know much about what you can do. You have the Heaven's Feel, but it belongs in my world, not this one. Who knows how it works here?"

"And the cracks on that statue over there by the door?" He pointed over to the cracks in the Caster statue.

"Oh, those? That just means that you forged a connection through your Caster servant, this case being Tamamo-no-Mae. Since you are now linked in a sense, you're much closer to The Root of Akasha than another else from my world has been in several centuries." he answered. "Though I say Servant, it'd be more accurate to call her a Heroic Spirit, since she's been revived in her whole entirety."

"A Heroic Spirit?"

Zelretch nodded. "The Throne of Heroes. Think of it as an alternate space, unreachable by any method. Not even the Second Magic is capable of perceiving it. It's a realm accessible to only those who had performed feats that are recognized as "impossible" by the World. Greek heroes like Odysseus, Theseus and Herakles. Japanese figures like Higashikata, Okita and Nobunaga. There are many that would classify for the Throne. Those that do are known as Heroic Spirits. Servants are Vessels that act as bodies for these Heroic Spirits. If I were to make a guess, going by recent events, I'd say that Tamamo would be considered a "Caster-class Heroic Spirit."

"What's the difference?"

"Servants only possess a fraction of a Heroic Spirit's power, limited to a very specific skillset. Heroic Spirits possess all the powers they had when they were alive. For example, the Hound of Chulainn. As a Caster, his magical prowess is unquestionable, but his true power lies as a Lancer, where he is virtually unmatched with a spear."

Issei nodded. "Okay, so... Tamamo, rather than being limited to a small power level, is at her strongest?" Zelretch nodded. Issei then sighed and ran a hand through his head. "Urgh, I don't get this at all! This is way too confusing! At this point, I can't tell if I'm going crazy from all the stress or this is just one super weird dream!

"Personally, I would say a little bit of both, given how taxing the past few days have been. But make no mistake, what I have told you is the truth. And you boy...you have the power to make a difference in this realm. Even if you don't know it yet, you will in time...is what I would say if I actually knew what difference that would be. But you get the idea."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." Issei muttered sarcastically. "How do I know you're not some crazy hallucination my subconscious devised for this dream?"

"Oh, don't worry. You and I will be seeing one another again soon."

"By the way, you might want to wake up. You're about to find your house on fire."

"Wait, what?!"

* * *

In the next second, Issei suddenly found himself falling into smoke. His body jolted, snapping wide awake and alert when he suddenly found himself coughing haphazardly while he felt his body being dragged away. "W-what-" he choked, something disgusting flooding his mouth and nostrils. It smelled like something was burning. He couldn't see anything. "What's going-"

"Get your hands off my husband!"

A blast of cold air washed over him and he found himself knocked to his feet. He heard a cry of pain close by. He shook his head, trying to clear up the fog in his head. When his vision cleared up, he learned that Zelretch had not been kidding.

His house really was on fire! "Holy shit!"

"Issei-san!" "Darling!" Issei looked to the side, finding Asia standing behind a protective and royally pissed off Tamamo-no-Mae. The source behind such anger was a black-cloaked stranger holding a gun and honest-to-god light saber, skewered by several thick shards of ice.

"What the hell? What the fuck's happening?!"

"E-exorcists!" Asia cried. "Stray Exorcists! They-they just attacked us!"

"What?! Why?! Wait, where's Aika?!"

"I'm here!" The bespectacled girl cried as she made her way around the corner with a broken lamp in her hand. "Sorry about the lamp, but I kinda knocked one of them out with it."

His house was on fire and they were being attacked by Stray Exorcists, and she was worried about a broken lamp? Issei would have marveled at the girl's strange sense of priorities, but instead he shook his head. "Everybody out!" he shouted. Tamamo nodded and brought out a paper talisman, throwing it at the front entrance. In seconds, a chilly wind wiped out the flames lapping away, snuffing them out instantly and allowing the four of them to escape.

Issei soon stopped dead, however, when he realized that they had walked out of the frying pan and into the oven. "Ah, shit..."

Exorcists. Dozens of them, all standing in front of his house and armed to the teeth. Asia whimpered and clung to Aika and Tamamo, the latter of whom released a portion of killing intent. Not enough to induce the same effects as when she met the Devils, but enough to intimidate the poor sons of bitches in front of her. Standing at the head of the group was a young girl with black-and-silver hair and pale red eyes, wearing a black trench coat with yellow trims and dark slacks and knee-high boots. In one hand was a simple ornate blade with a pure silver edge that almost seemed as if it were glowing, and in the other hand was a simple handgun.

"Who the hell are you people?!" Aika angrily demanded. "If you're with those stupid crows, you-"

"Please be quiet." the girl cut her off, oddly polite in spite of the fact that she had them all dead to rights. "I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't make this any harder than it must be." She then directed her attention to the male brunette. "You are Issei Hyoudou, correct?"

"Wh-who wants to know?!" Issei yelled, trying to put on a brave face against likely death.

"Greetings, Hyoudou-san." the woman greeted politely as if she didn't have them dead to rights. "My name is Lint Sellzan. If you would be so kind, could you maybe hand us over Asia Argento-chan before we're forced to kill you?"

She gave him an ultimatum with such an even expression as if she were commenting on the weather. Even so, it still shocked him. But he hardened his expression. There was no way he was going to give up Asia to save his own skin!

"Over my dead body!"

Lint stared at him, then sighed. "I see... That is a shame." she said before she pointed her blade at him. "I'm sorry for what is about to happen."

"Well, I'm not." Tamamo cut in, bearing her fangs. "Burn to ashes!"

She quickly flung two of her talismans at the girl. But Lint moved quickly and sliced them to pieces mid air, rendering them useless. Or at least, that was what she thought. The remains of the talismans caught fire and exploded into the crowd of exorcists, dispersing them or burning them severely. Lint dodged the incoming flames easily, leaping away. Rather than try and attack Tamamo, as she knew doing so would be dangerous, she instead decided to go for the next best thing.

Her summoner.

"Very sorry!"

"Whoa! Shit!"

Issei hastily jumped backwards to avoid the blade that would've bisected him. He dodged it, but just barely, evident by the tear in his shirt. He fell on his rear as he crawled away. But Lint immediately followed up for a stab through the head. He pulled his head to the left, letting it stab the ground next to his skull. Before she could use her gun to shoot him at this range, she suddenly found the wind kicked straight out of her lungs as a powerful strike plowed into her abdomen, sending her flying away.

Tamamo lowered her extended leg and growled. "Get away from my husband you tramp!" She then threw more talismans at the mob of Exorcists to either freeze them solid or burn them to a crisp.

It was amazing how, despite the vixen practically bombarding the road, no one seemed to notice a damned thing as the exorcists scrambled to evade. What really amazed and horrified Issei was the fact that they still kept coming at them. Surely, they should have realized the difference right now, right? They should know that they had no chance of winning against her, so why were they even trying? Were they that confident?

 _'No, that's not it!'_ he realized. _'They're coming at us, knowing full well they can't win! They're just throwing themselves at her like lambs to the slaughter! But why?! Why throw their lives away?! What are they-'_

Realization dawned on him.

They were after Asia!

"Kyaaah!"

The brunette turned to find Aika being kicked away while another exorcist grabbed Asia roughly by the shoulder. When she struggled, they slammed the butt of their gun into the back of her head, knocking her out instantly.

"Get away from her!" Issei roared, finding himself on his feet and charging at the exorcists. They whirled on him, weapons drawn. But for some reason, they found themselves suddenly frozen. To a bystander, Issei would have looked like a raging lunatic, going up against several people who had weapons that could kill him.

 _ **キル キル キル キル キル キル キル キル キル**_

But to the exorcists, at this moment, Issei looked like a demon out for blood, brown eyes bleeding bloodlust and rage. They had no idea why though. This was just a normal human! Well, a human with powers that he barely even understands! They were warriors who lived on the battlefield and tempered through combat in life or death situations. Why were they hesitating?!

But the more they focused on the boy, they felt the compulsion to turn and flee.

Their instincts detected something from this boy...something _primal_.

They returned to the senses, but only after Issei had delivered a brutal haymaker to the one who knocked out Asia, breaking his nose and knocking him out in a single hit. Issei followed up with an uppercut to the closest exorcist, making them stumble back. An exorcist lunged at Issei, swinging his sword. The blade cut across his back, making him scream. The exorcist smirked, but it soon faded when Issei looked over his shoulder, glaring at him.

"I-I'm sor-"

That was as far as he got before Issei broke his jaw with a roundhouse kick. He then grabbed the one next to him by the shoulders and slammed him into the ground. Following that, he grabbed another by the legs and swung him around like a rag doll before throwing him into another group.

Issei wasn't entirely sure what was happening. It felt like he suddenly left the driver seat and his brain went on auto pilot. He was moving on instinct.

Not that he cared right now. All he cared about was protecting Asia and Aika!

Which was precisely why he grabbed two exorcists by the skulls and smashed them against each other. As he readied himself for the next exorcists, a burning hot pain erupted across his shoulder, followed by something cutting into his leg. He screamed, collapsing to his knees. "Whew... Gotta say, I have a raging hard on, watching you go ape shit!" Issei looked over his shoulder. A man was standing over him, having the same face as Lint, only more sharp and narrow. Unlike Lint, his hair was fully silver, and his red eyes far more pronounced. Across his lips was a wicked grin. "I think I'm in love~!"

"Fuck..." Issei hissed. "You!"

"Oooh! He's got a mouth, too! Man, it's such a shame we gotta kill ya. I think we would've gotten along!" The man chuckled before he raised his gun. "Well, them's the breaks I guess." He pulled the hammer back. Even with the gun leveled at his forehead, Issei glared at him in defiance, daring him to pull the trigger.

"Ise!"

That was the last thing Issei heard before his hearing went to shit and the gun went off, sending him into a world of black...

* * *

{{Error. Connection lost.}}

{{Attempting reconnection...}}

{{Error! Reconnection impossible. Cause: Severe Brain Injury.}}

{{Odds of survival: zero.}}

{{Opening Circuit Pathways...}}

{{Circuit Connection Established.}}

{{Beginning Reconstruction.}}

* * *

Issei's mind was in a haze. Everything was so blurry. The world was spinning around him. So many colors...

...wait, what was his name again? Isen? No. It was... Issei. Yes, that's right. His name was Issei. He was a guy. Seventeen, right?

 _'So weird... I can barely think. What happened to me...?'_

He couldn't remember. In fact, he couldn't remember anything. No, that wasn't right. He could remember, but the details were so murky. He remembered there was someone he was trying to protect. But something happened. There was a gun going off.

Did he...die? If that was the case, how was he still alive?

He was still alive, right? He honestly could not tell. His mind was in a haze. It felt like he was under water. His limbs felt like lead. But he could still think, so that was something. So he thought. He thought and focused his mind to try and find his memories. He could've sworn he tried to protect someone. Just who?

Slowly, but surely, things were coming back to into focus.

His house was on fire. There were people attacking him. There was a blonde girl being taken away. A blonde. Her name was Asia.

And he was shot in the head.

 _'So, am I dead?'_ Issei thought strangely. _'I can still think. Am I in limbo...?'_

"Fou..."

 _'Huh? Wait, what's that?'_

"Fou..."

 _'It sounds like...'_

"Fou!"

Without warning, his body felt like it was electrocuted. He flung himself forward, gasping for air as his heart hammered against his chest. He immediately regretted the action when he felt his stomach lurch and his mind burn. "Ow..." he grimaced, clutching his head. "Ow ow ow... Is-is this what a hangover is?"

Eventually, the hard throbbing in his head ceased, allowing him a chance to focus and pay attention to his surroundings. Much to his surprise, he was no longer in his front yard. He was back in the Dream, right before the gate.

"Kyu Kyu!" And alongside him was the adorable creature from before.

"Wait...you were the one who woke me up...?"

"Fou!" it nodded.

"But...how did...wait, Asia! Aika! Tamamo!" He immediately stood up in a panic. "I have to get back! They're in danger!"

"Fou!" The tiny little bugger danced around before it bounced off, running towards the gate. A loud groan echoed from it as it slowly began to open up. A faint blue light flowed out from it. Little wisps even floated out from it. A gust of wind blew out from it, nearly knocking him over. He stood his ground and shielded his eyes when the light grew intense to the point of blinding. The glare died down, allowing him to see once more. What he saw took his breath away.

"Whoa..."

* * *

The world faded away, blotting and breaking away. Issei didn't remember what he saw beyond the gate, only that he stepped through it.

When he came to, he was apparently lying on a very comfy couch. Judging by the decor, it was the Occult Research Club's clubroom. But why was he here? Shouldn't he be...

...waaaaaaaaait a second. Something was wrong. He could feel it. It was way too cold, and he could distinctly feel more of the soft couch than he should be. He glanced down at his body, which was covered by a thin blanket. He was topless, which was already raising alarms.

Surely, nobody had...done that, right? Gulping, Issei pulled the covers back...and promptly screamed.

"WHY AM I NAKED?!"

There was a scream close by, followed by something falling to the ground with a thud. Looking over, he found a teary-eyed Tamamo staring at him, crying literal waterfalls while the tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of water was spilled across the floor.

"Y-y-y-y-y-you..." Tamamo sobbed before she promptly launched herself at him. "YOU'RE ALIIIIIIVE!"

"Whoa, wait a sec-YIPE!"

Issei couldn't prepare himself so he spilled unto the floor with Tamamo on top of him, clinging on to him for dear life. Her arms wrapped around him, threatening to snap his back in half. 'Too tight! Too tight!' Issei's mind cried, feeling his bones creaking. 'I think I'm going to die! Again!'

"You're alive! You're alive, you're alive, you're alive, YOU'RE ALIVE!" Tamamo sobbed as her grip tightened, as if she would lose him if she hadn't.

Unfortunately, due to the Heroic Spirit's strength being ranked several time above a normal human's, Issei felt like he as about to die again with his bone on the verge of breaking. Thankfully, his saving grace came at the form Sona Sitri. "Tamamo-sama. If you do not relinquish your grip, Hyoudou-kun will die again. He looks ready to snap in half."

Immediately, Tamamo relinquished her grip. Issei breathed a tremendous sigh of relief, his body already feeling better. "Oh, thank you god..." he said, not noticing Sona suddenly wince as if she heard nails scratching against a board. "I thought I was a goner..."

"Technically, you were. You had a bullet hole in your body. Well, old body, I should say."

"Wait, I did get shot?!" Issei cried in dismay. So he really did die-hey, wait a minute! "What do you mean by old body?"

Rather than give him an answer, Sona had decided to show him. After she provided some clothes, considering he was naked. Sona led him to another room, closely followed by Tamamo, who stuck by him with her arms wrapped around one of his own. No doubt because she feared what might happen to him, considering he did indeed die.

The room was practically empty, save for a few tables and chairs. It looked like some kind of meeting room, with something sitting on top of the tables with a white sheet draped over it.

When Sona pulled back the sheet, Issei's face drained of color and felt his stomach lurch uncomfortably.

He was lying on that table with a bullet hole in his forehead.

"...how in the hell?"

"That was what we were wondering." Sona sighed. "When me and Rias arrived at your house, we found Tamamo-sama and Kiryu-san standing over your corpse."

Issei wasn't sure what to think about that. It was...very disturbing, honestly. In fact, he felt a little sick, looking at his dead body. He glanced down at his body, or new body, or whatever the hell it was. How did he come back? Was this connected to the Heaven's Feel or something? Unable to look at the sight anymore, he pulled the sheet back over his body.

"I'm surprised you or Gremory-senpai didn't try to bring me back as a Devil." he remarked wryly.

Tamamo sniffled. "I'd have killed them if they so much as tried."

Sona said nothing in response to that. Likely because there was no need. Of course, she knew Rias wasn't that stupid, considering how their last meeting with Tamamo had gone. "With Tamamo-sama's permission, we were going to bury your body. But as we were about to move your body elsewhere... Well, let's just say you gave quite a few of us girls present quite the look."

There was a noticeable blush on Sona's face. Issei's own cheeks became tinged. Great, so not only did the Two Great Ladies of Kuoh, plus the Mascot get to see him naked, the whole Student Council got a good look at his "little brother" too! God, could this day get even worse?!

Actually, hold that thought. Yes, it could.

"What about Asia?" he asked, turning to Sona. "Where is she?" The glasses-wearing Devil looked away. "Sona-kaichou..." he said again, this time in a pleading tone. "Where's Asia? She's here with us, right?"

"...Unfortunately, Asia Argento is not here with us. The Exorcists were successful in capturing her before we arrived."

Issei's heart sank at that. Confusion, then anger. He gritted his teeth and his hands balled into fists. _'Dammit all! I promised I was going to protect her, and this is what happened. I got shot! God dammit!'_ This was unfair. It was unfair! Asia didn't deserve any of this! If only he had been stronger, then maybe she wouldn't have been kidnapped!

"Kiryu-san is safe, however. A few bruises, but she will be fine." Sona continued, adjusting her glasses. "We were also able to discover the location of the Stray Exorcist's base, thanks to Tamamo-sama capturing one of them."

"She did...?"

Issei looked at Tamamo, who nodded strongly. "I figured you would have wanted to save Asia-chan, so I made sure to keep one of them alive." she told him. "And she had quite a few things to say."

"As it turns out, a good number of the Stray Exorcists had been forcibly marked by a Geass." Sona added. "To put it simply, if they disobeyed orders, they would be killed right then and there. They were also ordered by someone in the Grigori."

One person immediately came to mind. "Raynare?"

"Worse. One of Azazel's lieutenants." she answered grimly. "Kokabiel. One of the most powerful Cherubims in all of Heaven. There have been very few who could match him in power. I've also heard many rumors that he was dissatisfied with the fact that the Great War had been called off by a ceasefire. If I were to hazard a guess, his actions here may be to incite the spark that would cause another war."

Issei grimaced. So, that was all this was about? Just starting another stupid war? To hell with that! He turned on his heel, about to leave before Sona spoke again.

"Hyoudou-kun. As much as I understand your thoughts on the matter, I advise you don't rush in to save Asia Argento by yourself."

"And why not?! We know where she is! So I'm going after her!"

"And just how do you plan on rescuing her when you're outnumbered and outgunned? Even if Tamamo-Sama is by your side, a stray bullet can still be lethal to you."

Issei would have retorted to that, saying he could probably make himself a new body. Then he remembered how distraught Tamamo looked and clamped his mouth shut. Besides, he wasn't even sure he could make himself a new body like he did now. What if it was just a one-time thing? And he sure as hell wasn't keen on dying again.

"...then what am I supposed to do?! Just stand around while she's captive?,"

"That all depends, do you intend on going in alone?"

"...eh?"

* * *

Had the Fallen Angels been involved, the Student Council and the Occult Research Club wouldn't have been involved, mainly due to political reasons.

However, since it was a group composed of Stray Exorcists and had confirmed their intentions, there wasn't any need to find loopholes. The hostilities were made present, and thus, they had to act. Both to save face and to ensure that they were more than capable of protecting their territory. Not that they would say it to Tamamo's faces. they had learned their lessons.

That being said, there was one problem he did have with this whole thing.

"Why the hell is she here?" Issei asked, glaring daggers at Lint Sellzan. To her credit, she seemed nonplussed about the fact that she was standing in the midst of a group of Devils or the guy she had tried to kill an hour ago.

Rias simply smiled. "Relax, Hyoudou-kun. She won't cause you any trouble. Isn't that right, Lint-chan?"

"I promise to be of use, Buchou."

Issei choked. "B-Buchou?!"

Sona sighed, massaging her temples. "You offered her a place in your Peerage, didn't you?" she asked in exasperation. Rias, practically beaming, nodded. "Can I ask why?"

"The way I see it, Lint-chan had no actual reason to do what she did, aside from having her life threatened. She and quite a few of her comrades were all excommunicated, so I decided to give her a choice. She can either be turned over to the Church and face execution, or join my Peerage." She paused briefly before her face contorted. "Keep in mind that I had to convince her to join rather than accept death. She was quite set on walking toward her noose for some reason."

"Good. Nothing is worse than loss of choice and free will." Issei felt conflicted. On the one hand, this was the girl who helped take Asia away for some reason. On the other hand, he couldn't help but wonder why she was intent on walking to the gallows. Especially since Rias was offering her a second chance, more or less. "So, which is she?" Sona asked curiously."

"Took up four Pawns. She's a keeper!" Rias said with a grin. "Plus, she's also given us some useful information. Turns out Raynare only thought she was receiving orders from Azazel. The one who actually gave her the orders was Kokabiel."

Kokabiel. That name again. "Why did this guy want me dead?" Issei asked. "Is it because of this whole magical potential thing?"

"I don't know." Lint answered honestly. "The only one who knew why you had to be eliminated was Kokabiel himself. He did not divulge any information to his subordinates or us. He was also the one who arranged for Asia Argento to be brought here."

"Why?" Sona asked. "Why bring an excommunicated nun here?"

"To extract her Sacred Gear."

This caused a few eyebrows to rise. "Extract a Sacred Gear?" Tsubasa asked skeptically. "Is that even possible?"

Lint nodded. "Azazel created a device that would be capable of just that. However, because the Sacred Gear is tied directly to the soul, the separation proved to be fatal and would kill any who underwent the extraction process. As a result, Azazel locked the device away and swore it would never be used again. A few weeks ago, however, there were reports that one of his warehouses had been broken into."

"And the item stolen was the device." Tamamo surmised with a frown. "The filthy crow intends to kill Asia to get her Sacred Gear! The brute! When I find him, I'll burn him to ashes!"

"Then what are doing standing around?! Let's go before it too late!" Issei cried. "They're in the Church, right?"

"Yes. But no doubt they are expecting your arrival. We must be cautious if you want to save the nun." Lint advised. "My brother, despite his lunacy, is quite skilled."

Issei growled, remembering the bastard's face before he was shot in the head. He made sure to carve his face into his mind. "What's his name?"

"Freed Sellzan." the girl answered. "He was once a prodigy, but the higher-ups excommunicated him when he proved to be too unstable. He killed many of his own comrades, simply because he was "too bored" to kill Devils and Fallen Angels."

"Sounds like a real piece of work." Saji remarked. "What's the game plan, Kaichou?"

Sona's response was swift. "Divide and concur." she said, a serious glint in her eyes. "My Peerage and I will take control of the outside perimeter to ensure there are no stragglers. Rias and her peerage will be invading the Church. I believe this goes without saying, but Hyoudou-kun will be in charge of rescuing the nun."

"Arigatou, Kaichou!" Issei bowed his head gratefully. "I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Then I trust you'll actually put some effort into your exams, the next time?"

"Urk...!"

She really hit a weak spot. While he wasn't exactly failing, his grades showed the fact he wasn't excelling either. "I...I'll promise to hit the books more."

Still...

What was this strange sensation? It had been itching in the back of his mind like crazy. His fingers were twitching. Was he excited? No, that wasn't it. He was... _anxious_. Waiting for a fight to brew. A chance to pay that shit bird Freed back for shooting him and taking Asia.

And he'd be damned if he was just going to settle for a punch to the face.

* * *

Just before the plan began, Issei asked Kiba to make him a sword, once he saw the guy craft a sword out of middair. He explained it was thanks to his Sacred Gear, but because he was short on time, he left it at that and gave the brunette pervert a simple longsword of European design. It was fairly light in his hand.

"Will you be okay, Ise?" Tamamo asked worriedly. "I mean, I can always-"

"Tama-chan, for the last time, I'm okay." Issei stressed, forcing a smile to his face. It hurt his chest to make her worry like this, it really did. Once this was all over, he was going to make sure he made it up to her. Maybe a home-cooked meal? Nah, too half-assed. Maybe a gift. "Just...make sure to watch my back if things get too out of hand, okay?"

"If..." Tamamo bit her lip. "If you're sure." She really didn't like this. Issei had asked her to let him handle Freed if they came across him, but she couldn't help but feel worried. It was a wife's job. Especially when she had failed him the first time. She didn't quite understand how he managed to craft himself another body and return to life, but the fact remains that she let him die. She could have easily mopped the floor with those exorcists and saved him, but this went and happened! if only she had been faster!

Dammit all to hell, she was a useless wife!

And to make matters even worse, she couldn't even prevent Asia from being kidnapped afterwards! She was so distraught with her husband's death that she didn't even notice them take her away until it was too late.

She was at her strongest for Pete's sake. She could have prevented this easily.

Realizing she was sad, Issei sighed and rubbed the back of his head before he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug.

"M-Mikou?!" Immediately, Tamamo's ears and tails perked up.

"It's okay, Tamamo-chan. Don't be sad. I'm still here, aren't I?" he told her, smiling softly. "And we'll get Asia back. So cheer up, will ya? If you don't, well... I can guess we can skip the honeymoon."

"What?! No! I'm not sad anymore! I'm better now!" As Tamamo broke away, suddenly energized, Issei grinned. It was pretty easy to cheer her up. Still, a honeymoon did sound good. Maybe they should go on one. They were supposed to be married.

Wait, did that mean he'd have to buy a ring? Crap.

That was a thought for another time, though. Right now, he had a blonde Sister to save.

* * *

"Wait, so we don't need this chick's Sacred Gear?" Freed asked, talking with his superior over the phone. "Not to question you, boss man, but can I ask why? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I get to kill a skank and take something valuable from her, but what's the whole point of doing this if ya don't know this Twilight Healing thingamajig?"

"It is because it is unnecessary in the long run. The extraction of Twilight Healing was part of Raynare's agenda to gain more power for her own use. I require no such thing."

Freed chuckled. "Fat load of good it did her. Still kinda bumbed I couldn't fuck her when I had the chance. Still, least I got to see her wings get ripped off! Fuck, that was awesome. God I wish I could fuck that goddess chick. Hey, would that be okay?"

"Dear Freed, don't get ahead of yourself." his boss scoffed in amusement. "Whether or not she is truly the Avatar of that detestable Shinto Sun Goddess is not important, but her power. I imagine she'd kill you the second you showed your face. Speaking of that wench, did you deal with the boy?"

"Gave him one hell of a headshot!" Freed answered happily. "Let me tell you, it was so fucking satisfying, seeing the horrified look on those bitches faces. Wish I could've fucked the chick in the glasses before we left. Eh, maybe when I tie up any loose ends."

"Your vulgarity never ceases to amuse me. I'm half tempted to think you weren't a part of the experiment that cloned Siegfried." the man remarked, making Freed frown. He didn't quite like to be reminded about that fact. Bad enough his "sister" liked to remind him about that. Still, he wasn't about to tell the boss to fuck off like he did everyone else. He liked living, thank you. "Just make sure to cause enough chaos to gather the attention of the other factions, Freed. I want everyone to know that this so-called peace of theirs is as fragile as glass!"

The psychopath laughed. "Got it!" The call ended and he tossed the phone aside, uncaring of the fact that it was worth thousands. "Alright, you cockbites! Get the ceremony started! We're gonna grab that Sacred Gear outta that nun and sell it to whoever wants it the most! Any Shitty Devils that come by, chop 'em to pieces! Understand?!"

"Yeah!" Came the collective cry of his fellow exiled exorcists. They all knew that they were going to die eventually. Might as well perish in the heat of battle like they always dreamed of. After all, their bloodlust was a major reason why so many of them were excommunicated.

That being said, none held a candle to Freed's insanity.

The exorcists dispersed, some choosing to guard the church while others made sure the ritual was done properly. Freed was among the former, mostly because he was hoping some idiot was stupid enough to try and charge in here. Maybe the Devils. God, he wanted to kill something.

Unfortunately, he never expected to find what he was about to see in a few short minutes, as the Devil's siege finally began in grand fashion. Rias had destroyed the front entrance with a grandiose blast of her Power of Destruction, shortly followed by Akeno letting loose with the thunder bolts and Kiba charging in, swords drawn.

In mere seconds, the number of enemy combatants vastly dwindled. Smoke plowed into the church. Fire was starting to swallow the interior. Honestly speaking, Freed was enjoying every second of it. Unlike his compatriots, who were either screaming for their lives or throwing their lives away by trying to fight the Devils, he just stood and watched the carnage unfold.

Aaaah. Shit. He was getting hard. Damn, what a sight~ Why couldn't every day be like this?!

Then his mood was ruined when he saw Lint among the group. His boner died down and a frown marred his features. "What the actual shit's this?" he growled as Lint approached, sword in hand. "Didn't you die?"

"Nearly." Lint admitted. "However, Tamamo-no-Mae spared me. I've already told them everything. And before you ask, yes. I've thrown my lot in with the Devils. Before you is the newest member of Rias Gremory's peerage."

"Tch. So you sold your humanity to be a Devil bitch's servant. It hurts you know...having my own sister betray me like this." Freed frowned without an form of insanity, but mild regret. "I'm going to have to kill you now, you know that."

"Sadly for you, I won't die just yet." Lint replied calmly, not at all disturbed by such implications. "However, I won't be your opponent. Someone has a score to settle with you, brother dearest."

"Eh? What do ya-"

 _ **キル キル キル キル キル キル キル キル キル**_

A wave of killing intent overwhelmed him. Immediately, Freed turned around and blocked a sword from coming down on him. He only got a good look at his attacker before a knee was suddenly rammed into his stomach, causing him to cough up spit. He quickly jumped away when he felt a sword coming for him, letting it hit only air. When he looked up, his eyes widened.

"Whoa hey hey hey!" he cried in shock. "What the shit?! How the fuck are you even alive?! I fucking shot you in the head!"

"Don't know." Issei Hyoudou snarled, a murderous look in his eyes as his blood boiled. For a moment, it seemed as if his eyes glowed crimson red. "Don't care. Now shut up and give me your head on a silver platter, you shitty priest!"

"My head? You gotta be fucking with me! The only one here losing their head is going to be you!" He charged forth and swung his sword to decapitate him.

Issei ducked and fought back, kicking Freed away and jumping into the air, attempting to cut him down from above. Freed stepped aside and let him hit the air, but Issei refused to back down and swung again. Freed deflected the attack, but the power behind it caused him to stumble back a bit. This allowed the brunette to ram his sword against his, causing sparks to fly between the two of them, each struggling to push the other back so they could kill the other.

They peeled away from each other. Then Freed, with a cry, leaped forward, intending to run Issei through on his light sword. Issei tried to dodge, but the blade caught him on his side, creating a deep gash. "Ghrgh!" he cursed. It hurt. It felt like his skin had just been cut open with a red-hot branding iron! "Shit!"

"Burns like a motherfucker, don't it?" Freed sneered. "Now hold still, ya little-!" Tired of listening to his filthy mouth, Issei promptly headbutted freed, causing him to stop mid-sentence and, in the process, bite his own tongue, causing him to scream before Issei swung his sword again. Freed fumbled in his parry, still reeling and stepped away, clutching his mouth. "Yhou fhuhka! Tha whaz ma taghaue!"

"Just shut up and die!" Filled with fury, Issei charged in again and swung. Freed quickly parried it, but failed to notice the roundhouse kick coming at him from the side.

"Oof!"

Freed stumbled back, still clutching his mouth. He could taste the blood flooding in from the freshly-made cuts from his own teeth. Normally, he'd relish the taste, but right now he was seriously confused and angry.

Since when do shmucks he shoots come back from the dead?! The hell were those supposed Gods of death doing?! The boss was so not going to like this. And if there was anything Freed was terrified of, it was dealing with the boss when he was pissed.

Hopefully the brat stays dead this time!

Issei rushed and swung his sword, intending on chopping off Freed's arm. Freed blocked it with ease, guiding the blade so Issei's would hit the ground before he kicked him in the side, knocking him to the ground. Issei winced, feeling his shoulder smash harshly against the concrete before his eyes widened and quickly rolled to the side, avoiding being stabbed through the chest. Getting up to his feet, he found himself slightly winded, clutching his side.

 _'Dammit! This wound hurts like hell!'_ he cursed. _'I feel like my ribs are on fire! I gotta make sure I don't get hit by that thing!'_

If he got hit by that sword even once, he would imagine it would hurt like a bitch and render him useless for several seconds at the very least.

C'mon, it was a fucking light saber!

 _'Need to make him get rid of it. But how?'_

The answer was simple in his mind. He just needed to cut the bastard's arm off. But how? Freed was a more skilled swordsman than he was. Plus, he was pretty sure he still had his gun on him. While he only had a sword and barely any skill or experience in using one. It was a miracle that he was even able to keep up till now.

If he was going to win, he'd need a miracle.

Or do something really, really stupid.

 _'Oooh, this is gonna hurt.'_ Man, Tamamo was going to be pissed. For Asia, though, he'd make the sacrifice. It was worth getting that girl angry at him.

"What's the matter, asshole?" Issei mocked, trying to goad him. "Feeling tired? I mean, I bet you do. Considering all that gray hair."

"Hey! My hair is white you dumbass!" Freed snapped back.

"Really? Wow, you must be really stressed. I'm surprised you haven't lost most of your hair yet!"

Freed growled and then promptly lunged at Issei. He didn't move. Instead, he let the blade pierce straight into his gut, making him scream out in agony. "The hell?! You got a death wish?! Not that I'm complaining!" Freed exclaimed.

But he was confused. Why did this idiot take the hit instead of dodging and staying alive?

He got his answer immediately after.

Issues hand lashed out and held Freed's wrist in a vice grip. He then swung his sword with his free hand and cut Freed's arm off, cutting through flesh and bone. A hefty splatter of blood spilled across Issei's face, some of it landing in his mouth, creating a bitter and foul taste. Freed screamed as he pulled away, clutching the stump that used to be his arm.

"SON OF A BITCH!" the psychopath howled. "YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING-!"

"JUST SHUT UP AND DIE!"

Freed didn't understand what had happened. Not until he saw a silver flash, and then another splash of blood. The last thing he saw was the pained face of Issei Hyoudou, smirking in spite of the fact that it felt like his whole stomach was on fire. "Payback's a bitch!" he jeered as Freed's head unceremoniously fell to the floor with a sickening 'plop', blood continuing to gush before the body fell into a lifeless heap. With his killer now dead, Issei grabbed hold of the light blade and, with a agonized yell, he pulled it out of his stomach. "Fuck..."

Suddenly, all the strength in his body vanished. He collapsed on the floor, propped on a half-broke statue of the Virgin Mary. He only gave the blade a quick glance before he tossed it aside.

 _'Weird...'_ Issei thought strangely as his vision started to flicker in and out. _'Normally, when this happens, you should be freaking out over the fact that you just killed someone, even if they did deserve it ten times over. Somehow, though, I feel...better. No. Accomplished?'_

Still, this was going to suck. When Tamamo sees him like this, she'll flip out. He really wasn't looking forward to that. He hated making a girl like her cry. Especially since she was someone who was willing to overlook his perverted tendencies.

 _'My stomach feels like its on fire.'_ Issei idly noted, the pain now feeling rather dull. _'Am I...going to die again?'_ The idea scared him. What if he didn't come back this time? What if he died for real? What if-what if...

What if Tamamo had to see him like this again?

That thought, and the image of her standing over his newly made corpse, made his chest tighten.

 _'No... No way in hell.'_ The brunette struggled to move. He grabbed hold of a piece of the half-broken statue, trying to rise to his feet. _'I am not...going to die like this, god dammit!'_ His body faltered for a moment. He nearly collapsed on his legs, but he remained standing. _'C'mon, you stupid body! Move! Move!'_

His vision flickered again. When he tried to take a step forward, his mind was filled with a haze and suddenly collapsed right then and there, not knowing that his eyes were glowing blue.

* * *

{{Error. Connection lost.}}

{{Attempting reconnection...}}

{{Error! Reconnection impossible. Cause: Moderate damage to internal organs.}}

{{Odds of survival: %67}}

{{Attempting Revitalization.}}

* * *

"...ngh..." Issei groaned, his mind in a haze once more. His limbs felt like lead, and he felt no pain. Was he dead...again?

Dammit...so he couldn't stay alive this time after all...

"...ou..."

What was that...?

"...Fou...kyu..." He felt something wet lap against his face.

Issei's eyes fluttered. He could barely see a thing. It was too bright. After a minute, his eyes adjusted. There was a familiar creature sitting on front of him, though contrary to what he expected, he was still in the chapel.

Staring at Freed's severed head, expression frozen in disbelief.

"...okay, ew." Issei said in disgust before the little critter kicked the head away with its hind legs.

"Fou!" It chirped in agreement.

"It's funny...I feel like every time I die...I see you again..." Issei told the fluffy little beast. Slowly, he got up, only to wince when he saw the room spinning. "Augh... My head hurts..."

"Hyoudou-kun!" The brunette looked to the side, finding a familiar damn handsome approaching. "Are you alright?"

"Seriously?" Issei deadpanned. "Dude, I think I died. Again."

"Well, for someone who has a burned hole in his shirt, you look surprisingly alive." Kiba replied. Issei blinked and looked down. His spare clothes were damaged, with a burn right where Freed had stabbed him. There was even soot stuck to his flesh. Even the singed tear on his side from Freed's first hit was still there. Okay, so he wasn't bucked naked this time around. Did he just revive in his old body? So where were the wounds? Did they heal on their own? "By the way... Did you do that?"

Kiba gestured to Freed and his headless corpse. Issei nodded, his voice cold. "Bastard deserves a lot more." he said, standing up to his feet. This time, he didn't feel so sluggish. The white little creature let out a yip and hopped up, climbing up his leg and settling itself on his shoulder. "So where's Asia? Is she safe?"

In all the chaos, he had nearly forgotten the reason why they came here. If there was even a hair missing from her scalp, he was seriously gonna...

...wait a second. Why was Kiba's face pale? "Yo, bishounen." Issei frowned. "What's up with you?"

"H-Hyoudou-kun?" Kiba aimed a shaky finger at him. Well, not at him. The little creature on his shoulder. "What-what is that?"

A second. Two, then three.

"Wait! You can see him?!" Issei cried with wide eyes before he looked at the creature. "Holy shit! Are you actually real this time and not in my dreams?!"

The creature seemed to smile. "Fou!"

"Seriously?! I wasn't just hallucinating back then?! Then where were you?! Why did you take so long to appear now in the real world?!"

"Kyu kyu..." The creature hummed as if trying to dodge the question.

"Oi! Don't dodge the question!...and now I realize you can understand me...I have no ideas what you're saying."

"Fou!"

Heh. This thing was cute when it wanted to be. Still didn't answer the question. Then again, maybe he'd never find out. Not unless he understood "strange white creature" language. And why was Kiba freaking out? Really, what was he so afraid of? Was he scared of this guy? A small part of Issei deviously hoped that would be the case, that way he could humiliate him in front of the school.

...okay, maybe he wasn't that cruel. All things considered, the only thing that made Issei hate him was his damn face. Aside from that, though, he seemed like a pretty cool guy.

"Y-you..." Kiba struggled to say something, choked while unsure whether to step away or grab the creature and pull it away from Issei. "I-I think you should get away from it."

"What? Why?" Issei asked in confusion. "Dude, he's, like, totally harmless. Not to mention freaking adorable." He gently grabbed the white creature by the scruff of its neck and held it up in front of Kiba. "Seriously, you can't tell me this is the face of pure evil."

Was it wrong he found enjoyment when Kiba yelped and immediately backed away?

"Ise!" Tamamo's voice called out to him. "Husband? We managed to-PRIMATE MURDER?!"

"Eh?!" Issei jumped and nearly released the little critter in his hands from the exclamation. He looked at Tamamo in confusion as her expression was set in a mix of shock and terror. "Tamamo-chan, what's wrong? And what the hell's a Primate Murder?"

"Husband! You need to get away from that creature right now! It's dangerous!" She readied her talismans with trembling hands.

"Dangerous? Really? You too? Come on..." He set the creature on his shoulder and scratched its chin, eliciting a soft purr. Those present in the room stared in baffled horror at his nonchalance. "How can you call this little fluffball of adorable incarnate dangerous?"

"Fou~!" It chirped in agreement.

"See? And what's this Primate Murder anyway? Some sort of monkey killer?"

"That-that's..." Tamamo shook her head. What was she getting scared of for?! She was Issei's wife! She needed to be brave! Actually, that could wait. That little bugger didn't seem to be doing anything, so for the moment, she could ignore it. For the moment. "N-never mind... We managed to rescue Asia-chan."

"Really?! That's great!" Issei cheered in glee. The little creature was patting the teen's cheek in congratulations from his shoulder perch. "Is she okay? Those bastards didn't do anything to her, did they?!"

"No, they didn't. She looks a bit unwell, but I think it's only because of what's happened so far." Tamamo answered. "That Gremory woman offered to look after her in the meantime. Something about it being an apology."

"Buchou is one of the owners of Kuoh." Kiba answered, still wary of the creature on Issei's shoulder. Whatever it was, it felt...dangerous. It's appearance was unassuming, but the presence he felt was unearthly. Hell, just being so close to it was enough to make him nearly suffocate. Why didn't Issei feel any of this?! Was he just that oblivious? "The stray exorcists running amok is her responsibility, along with Sitri-san."

Issei nodded in understanding before smiling in relief. "As long as Asia's okay, it's fine with me." he said before he looked at the white animal on his shoulder. "But seriously, what the heck are you? You don't look like a dog."

"T-that's..." Tamamo stammered. How was she supposed to explain this? Moreover, why in the name of Yomi did that thing have such an adorable appearance? Was it trying to get them to lower their guard. "It-it's Primate Murder."

"You said that earlier. The heck's Primate Murder?"

"It's, um..."

"Fou!" the creature yipped, gathering their attention. Issei saw it was flicking its tail, aiming one of its tiny legs to the side. "Fou fou!"

Following its line of sight, Issei's heart swelled when he saw Koneko emerge, holding an unconscious and strangely half-naked Asia Argento in her arms.

"Asia!" Issei rushed toward the unconscious blonde as Koneko gently set her down on the floor. True to Tamamo's words, she didn't seem to be injured. Although her robes from before were replaced by a short white dress, but Issei didn't care about that. He was simply glad to know that she was safe. "Thank...thank god you're alright..."

"Ngh!" Koneko and Yuuto flinched in pain from hearing the Creator's name. Such as a weakness of Devils.

"She's pale..."

Sona didn't seem to notice. "I imagine she's had quite the ordeal." she remarked before turning to the two fellow Devils. "Where is Rias and Akeno?"

"Destroying the device that she was strapped to." Koneko answered. "Want to be thorough."

"How did things go on your end?"

"We eliminated any stragglers that managed to get out of the church." Sona answered before she looked to Freed's corpse, eyes flashing with a foreign emotion as she turned to Issei. "Did you do that, Hyoudou-kun?"

"Yep." Issei answered without a hint of shame. "Though I did get a little roughed up to do it."

"And...you're okay?"

Issei knew why she was asking. To be honest, even he was a little disturbed about the fact that he didn't care that he had killed a man minutes ago. Even if he was a psycho path. "Surprisingly, yeah. It's weird. Look, can we get out of here now? I just..." He sucked in a breath. "I just want to make sure Asia's safe."

"Very well. Let's leave. By the way, about that thing on your shoulder..." Sona adjusted her glasses, looking at it warily. "What is it? It feels...unnatural."

"To be honest, I have no idea. He just showed up in my dreams up until now."

"...in your dreams?"

"Yep!"

Sona was silent. She felt a migraine coming on right about now. "I see..." She sighed and rubbed her temple.

"I'm telling the truth here!"

"Fou~! Kyu~!" The little animal barked softly as it patted Issei's cheek.

"See? It agrees with me." Issei added, feeling like he's getting the hang of understanding the creature based on its actions

Naturally, he didn't fully understand the reason why Sona looked so tired or exasperated. Gently, he kneeled down and picked up Asia. Her sleeping face looked so peaceful.

Of course, no one knew at the time what was going to happen...

* * *

Night 6: END

* * *

 _Next Time!_

Issei: What's wrong with her?!

Rias: A Sacred Gear is linked to the soul. If the soul is damaged...

? ? ?: Is it wrong to want to live? Even it means becoming a Devil?

Sona: The deck. It's...gone?!

Night 7: Family

Issei: Next time is going to be sappy all to hell! Brace yourselves!

* * *

 **Oh, holy shit. Would you look at that. It lives. And it STILL gets over a hundred reviews per chapter! THE FUCK?!**

 **And it is now caught up with Dragon of Dragons! Now I can focus on updating both of these puppies at once!**

 **Sorry for the delay, you guys. I've been busy with college and gaming lately. And speaking of gaming, Soulcalibur VI comes out on Friday. I'm so excited~**

 **Getting to the topic of the story, let's clarify a few things first.**

 **First up, Tamamo being unable to save Issei. Now, most of you will probably thing that this is a huge excuse, and a flimsy one, to show off Issei's Heavens Feel in action. However, you have to remember a few things. First, she's fighting to protect three people. And she's fighting in a neighborhood. If she went all-out, chances are, there'd be a lot of casualties. It may sound like false reasoning, especially since the problem could be solved with a Bounded Field, but the attack came immediate. She wouldn't have had the time.**

 **Second, Issei's death. I actually got this idea when someone in the reviews mentioned that it _is_ possible for Issei to revive himself. In this case, though, he leaves behind his dead body in favor of HF making him a new one. I won't lie. Showing this off and trying to execute it was _really hard_ for me. As was writing this chapter. It just feels rushed to me, you know?**

 **Thirdly, what the preview for next chapter implies. And it is leading to a decision MANY of you will be unhappy with. That is to say, Asia dying and becoming a Devil.**

 ***dodges flying projectile***

 **Hear me out. Now, some of you may be typing, "But can't Issei revive Asia with the Heaven's Feel?! You're just not being creative!" And you're not wrong about that last one, but Asia's death and the fear Issei has of her dying is a major part of his characterization for me. Also, there are rules about the Heaven's Feel in this story. Rules that Issei himself doesn't quite know yet. Rules that I will explain later on in the story.**

 **This decision, I understand, is going to piss off a _lot_ of people. If you want to drop the story now because of this decision or suddenly flame me to hell, you may do so. I will not hold it against you.**

 **But for those who are willing to watch this story play out in spite of events playing out in canon, thank you for your continued patronage.**

 **With all of that said, I'll end this chapter here. Before I finish it off, I'd like to let you guys know that I have a poll, asking what story you guys might want to see when I publish my 100th story. Reminder that the 100th story will be the last one I publish until all other stories that are currently "in progress" are completed. Also, I currently have over 90 stories still waiting to be finished.**

 **...and now I realize that I am in for the long haul. As Joseph Joestar would say, "HORRAY SHEIT!"**

 **Speaking of JoJo, I'm in the process of writing a JoJo story. A crossover with the webtoon called "unORDINARY." Which I have been interested as of lately.**

 **Welp, I'm done with this chapter. Be patient for the next one, and I'll see you all later!**


	7. Night 7

_Have you ever thought to yourself that you were at the lowest point in your life?_

 _Or that, maybe, you were beating yourself up for something that was completely out of your control?_

 _I never experienced that. Not even when I got this Heaven's Feel thing._

 _...at least, not until I found out that someone I cared about, despite having just met days ago, was about to die._

* * *

 **High School DxD X Fate/stay night Crossover:**

 ** _Fate/stay night:_**  
 ** _The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven_**

* * *

Night 7: Family

A week. That was how long it had been since Asia Argento had been rescued from the clutches of the Stray Exorcists. That was how long it had been since Issei discovered he could apparently resurrect someone from the dead. That was how long it had been since he "married" Tamamo-no-Mae.

That was how long it had been since his normal life had gone out the window and thrown into a gutter.

Even as he found himself once again going to school, he couldn't help but feel that the world had changed for him. Back then, all he had to worry about was getting through school, enduring beatings from the kendo team and so on. Now, though, his head was filled with so many thoughts, all he could do was just try and sort through them all and stare out the window.

"Yo, Ise." Aika whispered to him. He looked over his shoulder, finding her face written with concern. "You alright? Usually, by now, you'd be gushing about women and whatnot. Or at the very least make a small comment about how sexy Tama-chan is. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." he said. Aika gave him a flat stare, making it clear she didn't believe him. He sighed. "Okay, I'm... I'm just worried about Asia. It's been three days, and she still hasn't gotten any better." Aika's gaze turned sympathetic. Truth be told, she was also worried for the girl. There hasn't been any sign of her condition improving, and it was unnerving to say the least. "I just wish I knew how to help her..."

"Cheer up. I mean, Shitori-Kaichou's looking after her. I think Devils know how to heal someone up." She paused briefly, as a thought came to her. "Moving away from depressing talk, is it true you've started to bat for the other team?"

Issei choked, suddenly finding himself standing up. "What?!" He realized that his action had more or less brought the attention of the class down on him. Blushing and utterly embarrassed, he bowed his head and apologized before he sat back down. "Where-where the hell did you hear something like that?! I'm perfectly straight! I still get a hard on from looking at hot girls!"

 _'Mostly at Tama-chan these days, though...'_ he thought. _'It's hard to beat a goddess in sexiness.'_

"Just something I heard from your boyfriends, Motohama and Matsuda." Aika told him, making him growl. Of course those two would be spreading rumors. They had been avoiding him and shooting him glares ever since they found out he was in a relationship with the woman that was Tamamo-no-Mae. Avatar of Amaterasu-no-Mikoto. "They apparently saw you hanging around Kiba-kun. What's up with that? I thought you hated pretty boys."

The male brunette scoffed. "Of course I do. I just hate his face, that's it." he said. "Besides, I get to hang out with Toujou-chan."

"Better not let Tama-chan hear you say that. Speaking of which, what's she been up to?"

"She likes to stay at the house and clean and stuff like that. She also said she had something nice planned for dinner."

* * *

True to Issei's words, Tamamo was humming pleasantly to herself, dancing to her own little tune while she skipped around in the Hyoudou household, cobweb duster in hand. She was even dressed in a maid outfit complete with an apron. She appeared so elated. As if nothing could interrupt or ruin her mood. She had just finished dusting the downstairs and made her way up to the next level.

"Fou~"

And then she was promptly reminded that there was another member in their household. One that promptly put her on edge. Carefully, she looked to the side and found Primate Murder sitting on the window sill stationed at the end of the hallway, flicking its tail and pretending to be a cute little white creature of fluff and cuddles.

It would have worked...if it weren't for the fact that Tamamo herself technically counted as a Beast of Gaea herself, when that particular aspect of herself was in the driver's seat.

"I still can't believe darling brought you home with us..." she grumbled, eyeing the creature carefully while maintaining a safe distance from it. So long as it didn't show any signs of hostility, she was fine with letting it be. For now, at any rate. "How did you even get here? This isn't even our universe to begin with! Explain yourself!"

"Fou~" the creature responded with a flick of its tail.

Tamamo continued to glare at it before she promptly sighed in depression, her head hanging low. "I...understand none of that. This totally breaks my image of you. Why'd you have to look like such an adorable little cutie?! It isn't fair!"

Truly, she grew to be envious of Primate Murder, as she noticed how Issei seemed to dote on the fluffy critter ever since the incident in the Church. Why didn't he dote on her like that little Beast?! She was supposed to be his wife, dammit!

"Fou...Kyu..." The critter chirped as it jumped off the sill and scurried off to another part of the house.

Tamamo wrinkled her nose. _'Good riddance!'_ she thought before she went back to work. As she moved closer to the window sill, however, she noticed that the clouds looked dark and angry. "Did the weather forecast say it was going to rain today?" she wondered idly, cupping her chin. "Hm... Susano'o-sama must be sad today. Come to think of it, I wonder what the Amaterasu of this world is like?"

She sincerely hoped that whoever they may be, she was better than the one she knew of. She was a piece of the Sun Goddess, but simply because she was a fragment of her did not mean that the Amaterasu of her universe was a kind one. She vaguely recalled how she would have burned anyone who dared to enter her sanctuary to little more than cinders, no matter who they were. She could be amused at times, but the concepts of morals was beyond her, much less the ideas of "Good" or "Evil." That was what it meant to be a god.

And Tamamo was hoping that this world's Amaterasu had some idea of what it meant to have emotions.

* * *

Unknown to anyone at the time, however, there was activity stirring in Kyoto. Especially in the central region, where a barrier had been erected. Inside this barrier was a compound, far larger than the likes of Osaka castle. In this compound was a young girl with chin-length choppy blonde hair with matching eyes, wearing a traditional miko outfit with a white haori with puffy sleeves and red hakama slacks. Swishing about behind her were nine small golden tails, which flicked about in a carefree manner.

She was sitting in front of a pond, watching a small gathering of koi fish swim about as they performed neat little tricks in the hopes of amusing her. It did little, however, as the girl looked at a double set of doors leading into a room she was forbidden from entering for the time being. She gave a small little pout before turning back to the pond.

"Kaa-sama is taking a long time." she muttered sadly. "How come I'm not allowed to go in?"

Inside that room, there had been good reason as to why the girl was not allowed in. It was utter chaos, with various kinds of youkai screaming at one another. Not a thing could be heard over the intense and angry shouts that were directed at each other. The worst part was that it had started the moment a piece of news had been delivered by a Karasu Tengu, shortly after it made sure to validate the report in order to confirm its accuracy. The message was short and simple, and it was powerful enough to incite such chaos. Few dared to attempt to bring the conversation back to the main point, as many of those involved were known for their malignant temper.

One such individual, however, made them all cease with a slam of his cane. "Enough!" the old youkai bellowed, his wary and wretched old tone demanding respect and authority. He was a small old man with wrinkly old skin and frost-white hair, most of which mostly being his long beard and thin eyebrows. There was no hair on his head, and stranger still it resembled some form of gourd. "If you have already forgotten, Yasaka-sama is standing in our presence! Do you intend to show such disrespect?!"

"Be quiet, Nurarihyon!" an Ogre with dark blue skin and green hair roared, bearing his fangs as he slammed a hand down on the tatami mat. "This is serious! If this report is true, then-"

"It is lies!" a youkai that more or less resembles some sort of beast, body composed entirely of electricity, snapped. "It is impossible! She cannot have been resurrected! The Killing Stone has shown no signs of damage, not since the day that monk drove out her malicious spirit!"

A particularly giant youkai, a monkey covered head to toe in white fur and a gaunt dark face, frowned heavily as it cupped its chin. "Even so... The power we felt on that day was just like that of Amaterasu-sama." the Yeti/Yuki-Onna said. "Even if she is not her, it cannot be coincidence that her power is that of the Sun. Could she be the Avatar of a foreign deity?"

"What do you think, Yasaka-sama?"

All attention was directed to the single, most powerful individual in the room. A beautiful woman with long golden hair tied back into a ponytail, wearing a revealing yellow kimono that exposed an ample amount of cleavage, a black-and-gold obi hanging around her arms and spilling along the floor with the rest of her attire. She looked to be an older version of the young girl sitting outside the meeting room, completely with her own set of tails, only far larger and with a more vibrant golden sheen.

Yasaka-Tamamo, the Leader of the Youkai Faction, had been oddly silent since the news arrived. Not only had she not spoken when the shouting began, she had been silent even now. Her eyes, which had been closed meaning she was deep in thought up until now, opened to reveal dark brownish-gold eyes. She turned her head to her messenger, a Karasu-Tengu covered in dark raven feathers and a dark red beak.

"Assuming it is true, and that she has been revived..." she began slowly. "What of this human she has apparently taken fancy to? What is his name?"

The Karasu Tengu raised its head. "Milady." he said. "The one supposedly responsible for reviving Tamamo-no-Mae-sama is a human living in the Kuoh District, ruled by the Devils Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri: Issei Hyoudou."

* * *

School had come to its end, though not without its own fair share of problems. Midterms were quickly approaching in response to the upcoming Golden Week, and the weather was horrible. Rain had begun to spill out onto the city, coating the ground in puddles and in a thin sheet of water. Many had come unprepared and lacked umbrellas, forcing them to rush through or use their own bags as makeshift shields.

Neither Issei or Aika had left yet. They had made a quick trip to the Nurse's Office, which had been devoid of any life, save for one. Asia Argento was sleeping peacefully on one of the vacant cots available. Her face was peaceful, if perhaps a little drowsy and tired with dark rings under her eyes. Her skin was clammy, and deathly pale.

"I thought by now she'd look better." Aika remarked as she and Issei stood by her bedside. The female pervert looked at Asia's sleeping form with worry, hands clenched together. "I know I said she'd be in good hands, but... She IS going to be fine, right?"

"She has to be." Issei replied, though it hardly sounded convincing. It was far too weak, and it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. "She's gotta get better."

Honestly, it hurt him to see her like this. They had gone through so much trouble to save her. He had even killed someone to save her and nearly died as a result. Rias said she would be fine, but her condition only seemed to get worse. At first, he thought she was sick, but every time he gently touched her skin, he noted how cold she felt. It was like the warmth was being sucked out of her body.

He wished he knew what was happening to her. At least then, he'd be able to do something. Or at least try to do something.

Perhaps as a result of their talking, Asia's eyes trembled for a moment before they opened. Her eyes, compared to their usual vibrant luster, were somewhat glossed over as if covered by a thin film. "Oh..." she said tiredly. "Issei-san... Aika-chan..."

"Oh!" Aika winced. "I'm sorry! Did we wake you up?"

"No, I was waking up...please don't concern yourselves..." She smiled.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to be noisy..."

"It's fine..."

Issei couldn't help but notice just how tired she sounded. She looked so weak. Was this because she was strapped into that machine for too long? "Are you okay?" he asked. "Do you need anything?"

"No...I'm just...kind of sleepy..." Her eyes struggled to stay awake. "I'm sorry..."

"Hey, it's fine!" Aika leaned over, pulling the covers over her when she noticed they were starting to fall off. "Take all the time you need. And hey, when you feel better, you and I are on for a shopping trip. We still have to show you around town!"

The nun smiled weakly. "I'd...like that..." she said before her closed again and fell asleep again.

Issei sighed as he slumped in his seat. Aika shared his sentiments while she looked at Asia's face. She seemed to getting more pale by the day. While Issei had filled her in on what she missed, she still couldn't help but feel like there was something she was missing here.

"Let's give her some rest." Aika said, pulling away from the bed. "We should probably get back home. I imagine your hot wife's dying to have her hubby back home." In spite of the teasing, even Issei could tell that she wasn't putting any actual effort into it. The situation just felt too somber, too depressing.

Giving one last look at Asia, Issei stood up and put the stool back where it belonged before he followed Aika out the door. When they pulled the door open, they were met with two familiar faces. "Kiba?" Issei asked in surprise, recognizing the Devils. "Gremory-senpai?"

"I thought I saw you two heading here." the red-head smiled thinly, not quite matching her eyes. "It's been a while since we last spoke, Hyoudou-kun."

"Y-yeah..." Issei chuckled, scratching his cheek. Now that he thought about it, barring that time when they were about to rescue Asia and take out the Stray Exorcists, the only actual time they talked was when she and Sona were filling him in on the whole situation. And that had also been when Tamamo had more or less put her claws to their necks and threatened to kill them. "Um, about Tama-chan, I'm really sorry."

"No, no. She was perfectly in the right. The world has changed since the last time she was here. We honestly should have expected this kind of behavior, really." Rias waved a hand. "More importantly, how are you two doing? This last week has been quite stressful. Especially to you, Hyoudou-kun."

That had been putting it mildly. It was still hard to believe that this whole mess started because Raynare tried to kill him. It didn't feel like a week to him at all. If anything, it felt like months. With so much that happened, it didn't even seem like only a few days passed. So much had happened, he summoned Tamamo, nearly got killed...again, actually DID get killed, and killed another person.

He still hadn't felt bad about killing Freed, oddly. Not even so much as a bad dream. Was that bad? Was it a sign that he secretly enjoyed killing someone?

...no, couldn't be.

"I think we're doing fine, all things considered." Aika admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm just glad this idiot here's okay. Last thing I need is to see his dead body." A pause, then a grin. "Then again, I wouldn't mind getting a nice good look at him making a new one if it's going to pop up naked. I won't ask how the hell you do that, but if you did it on purpose, you certainly gave us a show~"

Issei's cheeks burned and his face fell in his hands. "Can we maybe not talk about that?" he begged pitifully. "Please."

Yuuto chuckled. "You two seem close." he noted.

Aika shook her head. "Nah, we're just close acquaintences and fellow pervs. Whereas he's interested in boobs, I'm more of a third leg kind of guy?"

"Third leg?" the blonde prince asked confused at first. Aika gave him a lecherous grin, and then it struck him. When it did, his cheeks turned scarlet. " _Oh_."

"Anyway, I'll be getting out of your hair now." the human girl said, shifting her bag up to her shoulder. "See you later, Hyoudou. Let me know if something happens with Asia, yeah?"

"Sure." Issei nodded. Aika smiled and then walked away, vanishing from sight. Once she was gone, Issei breathed a sigh of relief. "I can never get a beat on that girl to save my life."

"She does seem free-spirited." Rias noted. "That, and I have this feeling she and Akeno would get along splendidly. They practically live to tease."

"Hey, senpai. About Asia... She is going to be okay, right?" Rias fell quiet. Yuuto himself lost any and all warmth in his face, suddenly unable to look the brunette in the eyes. Issei noticed this and quickly became concerned. "Seriously, she's going to be fine, right? You guys know some healing magic, right?"

The red head gave a heavy sigh before she looked at Issei, as in really looked at him. When she did, he couldn't help but notice the sorrow in those icy blue eyes. "Hyoudou-kun... I'm sorry, but at the rate this is going, Asia will..."

She didn't finish, but he knew what she meant. A cold chill suddenly grabbed him by the throat, sucking away all the warmth in his body and replacing it with dread. "W-what do you mean by that?" he asked shakily. "What's wrong with her?!"

"The machine she was strapped to had been attempting to tear her Sacred Gear out of her body." Yuuto said, his tone full of mirth. "A Sacred Gear is tied directly to a person's soul. If the Sacred Gear is removed completely, then it would be the same as tearing the soul apart. That person would die."

"But-but you got her out of it before it could, right?!"

"We did, yes, but the process was not without its own repurcussions. The damage that's been done to her soul... No amount of healing will be able to fix it." Issei stared at her in disbelief, even as she looked at him with that grim expression on her face. "I'm sorry, but...

"Asia Argento will not live past the week."

"...what...?" Issei whispered in shock. His brain still tried to process this revelation. Even after all they did...Asia was still going to...

"I'm sorry." Rias said to him again, though he barely even heard her as his head fell and stared at the floor. "I truly am sorry, Hyuodou-kun."

She walked past him, shooting him a sorrowful gaze before retreating down the hall. Yuuto bowed his head, clearly showing his sympathies to Issei before he followed his King. The brunette stood there in place, frozen and unable to move. For a good few minutes, the only sound he could hear was the tapping of rain drops against the windows.

"...this isn't fair."

* * *

"Fou..."

"I agree. It's raining cats and dogs out there." Tamamo said. She was currently in the kitchen, still clad in her maid uniform and in front of a stove. In front of her was a steel pot, filled with various assortments of foods and whatnot. She was still trying to get used to Primate Murder's presence here, and was still clearly wary of the little fuzzball. "Ooh, I hope Ise is okay." A thought came to her, and she promptly gushed. "But if he is soaked, I can offer to join him in the bath~!"

"Fou. Fou fou kyu..." The little creature barked.

Tamamo frowned. "Oh, zip it, Primate Murder! A wife can dream! Besides, from what Okaa-sama told me, one of his more...questionable hobbies involved breasts."

"Fou..." Primate Murder shook its head in exasperation.

"Hush, you!" Seriously?! Just why was this Beast so judgmental of her?! Can't she enjoy her plans without criticism from it?!

Huffing, she went back to dinner. She had a feeling that it would help boost her husband's mood, if only a little. He had been so hopelessly depressed, waiting for Asia's condition to recover. She was also concerned for the girl, and sincerely hoped that she would get better soon. Unfortunately, despite all the power she had at her disposal, not even someone like her had the power to help her. Another time she once again felt useless, and yet her she was, with all nine aspects gathered and at full power.

What kind of Heroic Spirit was she?

She heard the door open. "Oh! He's back!" Mood improving, she instantly darted out of the kitchen. As she approached the entry way, she had a nice little speech and plan in mind. Given how lecherous Issei was, there was no way he couldn't take up the offer of having 'her' for dinner and/or in the bath! That was, assuming his nosebleed didn't stop him. Whenever he had a nosebleed, he always passed out. Now that she thought about it, she was amazed by how much blood could spew from his nose and he'd still be alive. How much blood did he have? Pushing the thought aside for now, she entered the entry way, about to recite what would surely lead to a night of passion, only to freeze. "Goodness! You're drenched!"

Issei looked positively wet. From head to toe, his clothes were completely soaked. His hair, which was usually messy around his bangs, was now patted down, no doubt due to the heaven pelting of rain. His clothes clung to him tightly, giving her an ample view of his skinny he was. While she hadn't seen him naked yet, on account of him desperately (and embarrassingly) attempting to prevent her from joining him. Clearly, he wasn't used to a girl being so aggressive in their advances. It was certainly cute, and adorable, especially for all his talk of being so perverse.

What made Tamamo confused, however, was the utterly bleak look on his face. It was like a corpse, so devoid of emotion and warmth that for a moment, she thought she was staring at someone else.

"I-Ise?" Tamamo called out to him. "Are you-"

Issei had only looked up at her for only a moment before he lunged at her, his arms snaking around her and pulling her towards him. "Mikou?!" Tamamo squeaked, but not without a blush on her cheeks. How forward! Perhaps a little risque and dinner pillow talk wasn't need after...

Tamamo's thoughts ceased when she felt Issei shaking, practically holding on to her for dear life. His shoulders trembled, and she could faintly hear him sobbing. She gingerly wrapped an arm around him and patted him on the head in a comforting motion. "There there...what's wrong?"

"A-As...Asia...she...s-she...she's..."

He couldn't finish. Instead, all he was reduced was a blubbering mess, slowly crumbling to the floor. All he could manage was incoherent gibberish and cries, with the white creature looking on in sadness while Tamamo did her best to comfort him.

* * *

It took two hours for Issei to calm down and tell her what had happened at school, and another a hour before his body had caught up with him. The poor boy was sleeping away his burdens, in no small part due to Tamamo putting a charm on him to help calm him down. If he were awake, a small part of him would have been thrilled to experience the famous Lap Pillow, but given what had happened, she was sure he would be more depressed than anything. Her fingers gently stroked his brown locks, trying her best to soothe him.

 _"The gods in this world certainly are cruel." Unknown to anyone but Tamamo herself, a few of her aspects had appeared. Tamamo Cat sat in the kitchen, practically crying her eyes out like she was trying to outdo Issei in that regard while Tamamo Shark sat on the other end of the sofa, knees curled up to her chest. Compared to them, the "Assassin" aspect that was Tamamo-vitch seemed by far the most composed, taking up residence on a nearby chair with an arm folded beneath her bosom. "Then again, when aren't they? I'm surprised the boy hadn't fallen apart on the way here."_

 _The current Tamamo in control scowled, pupils devolving into something primal. "We just found out that Asia-chan is going to die, and here you are, sounding so damned composed." she seethed, glaring daggers at the woman. "Do you feel nothing?"_

 _"She's right!" the "Berserker" aspect cried in outrage, tears still spilling from her eyes. "How cold-hearted can you be?!"_

 _"Because it is pointless to get so flustered over the inevitable." She replied simply. "Humans die, one way or the other. Or have you already forgotten that?" She adjusted her glasses, revealing her eyes that reflected nothing but cold apathy. "We are not human. We are a Heroic Spirit. More than that, we are a fragment of Amaterasu-no-Mikoto. We will live far longer than a human ever will."_

 _"Bitch." the "Lancer" aspect spat coldly._

 _"I'm just stating a fact. The nun's life was cut short the moment she was hooked onto that device. Her humanity is at its end..." She paused briefly, then shrugged. "Of course, she could become a Devil. That Gremory woman said it herself, her kind can reincarnate humans into their species. Then again, I doubt she'd take her up on that offer. She is a woman of faith, is she not?"_

 _"She is, which is why I don't think that would be an option for her." Tamamo replied._

 _That, and she still didn't quite trust the Devils. She was still sore about the fact that they took control of a portion of her homeland, even if it had been by legal means. Even if it was not her homeworld, the fact remained that it was still Japan. As much as she wanted to actually trust the Devils, particularly the one with the glasses as she found her far more hospitable than that red haired floozy, she couldn't bring herself to actually take their word for it._

 _The "Assassin" aspect smiled thinly. "Exactly. Admittedly, I do feel a bit sorry for the girl...but what can you do? Human life is fragile."_

 _"Enough." the head personality snarled. "Why don't you go help the others keep her in check? If I hear another word come out from your mouth, Tamamo-vitch, we will have more than words." Shrugging, the woman shrugged and vanished. Despite being gone, however, her presence still lingered, bringing a sour taste to her mouth._

 _Tamamo Cat growled. "I hate her. I really do."_

 _"What do we do?" the "Lancer" aspect asked, looking at Issei with misty eyes. "If Asia-chan dies..."_

 _Tamamo sighed and hanged her head low before looking at Issei, a finger stroking his cheek. There had to be something she could do, couldn't there?_

* * *

In spite of the doom and gloom, the past few days had offered some peace for Sona and her peerage.

"K-Kaichou... Help..."

Well, more her than anyone else.

Sona looked from her desk, raising an eyebrow when she saw her Pawn Saji buried beneath his own paperwork, weakly struggling to pull himself out and reach for someone. "Please stop fooling around, Saji-kun." she chided the teen. "If you continue this antic, I will add more to your workload."

"B-But...my back..."

"That's what you get for slacking off." Momo called from her seat, placing another signed document on the finished pile before getting to work on the next one. "You should always work off all the paperwork you have right off the bat, otherwise it'll pile up into what's on top of you now."

"I had important stuff to do!" He tried to grab some traction on the floor, but failed.

Reya shook her head. "Like what?"

"W-well..."

"There's no shame in admitting you were procrastinating, Saji-kun." Sona told him. "However, do know that I only accept so much of it." As she was about to write off another document regarding the budget for the school's Baseball Club, she felt a warmth spread in the air. She blinked in surprise, but then smiled somewhat. "Tsubaki, would you mind fixing me and our guest a cup of tea?"

Her Queen nodded. "Of course, Sona."

"Eh? Guest? We have a guest?"

"H-help..."

* * *

"Given how our last meeting went, I thought that you wouldn't want to face us again." Sona said, keeping her tone as polite as possible. Tamamo's face was stiff, looking as if she wanted to be anywhere but here, clearly showing that she still had some discomfort around the Devils. "I sincerely hope you haven't come to kill us."

Tamamo wrinkled her nose. "I don't dislike you enough to do that. Yet. Unless you give me a reason to." Well, at least she was honest. "And to be frank... I think I prefer you over that floozy friend of yours. Gremory or whatever her name is."

"Ah, yes. Rias. I admit, she can be...difficult, at times." Sona said in agreement. "Her handling of Hyoudou-kun's situation is certainly not what I would call stellar. But she does have her good qualities. But I don't believe you came here to discuss Rias. I assume this is about Argento's condition?" Tamamo nodded. The girl sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Unfortunately, the only thing that could possibly save her life is, quite literally, divine intervention. And sadly, I am not well acquainted or friends with a god."

"Because her soul is too damaged?"

"Yes. And even then, a god would have trouble healing such an extensive injury."

Tamamo bit her lip. "And what about this Reincarnation business?" she asked, surprising Sona. "Your kind can convert her into a Devil, isn't that right?"

 _'I see... So that's why she came here.'_ Sona thought to herself. "Yes, it is true. However... I feel as though there are some things I should tell you." Tamamo frowned at that. Explain a few things? What did she have to explain? "First, there is the matter of Reincarnation in the first place. By inserting an Evil Piece into a person's body, regardless of race, they can become a Devil. More accurately, they become a Reincarnated Devil. However, there are conditions. The most important of them being that they must consent to become Reincarnated. It is possible for a person to be Reincarnated even if they refuse, but there's a high probability that the conversion process will cause their mana to run wild, warping their mental state to the point where they become little more than a beast. The most common way of Reincarnation these days, as much as I hate to admit it, is by converting those who have passed from this world."

In other words, they Reincarnated people who had already died. Tamamo couldn't help but note the slight hint of anger in Sona's voice as she said that. It was clear that she detested such actions. From what little she could paint so far, Tamamo saw that Sona, despite being a Devil, had some good qualities. She wasn't what she assumed she was, a scheming little bat and such. There was honor. There was a person beneath all that.

"Secondly, there is Argento's own circumstances to take into account."

Tamamo tilted her head. "Her circumstances?" she asked in confusion. "If I remember right, she was cast out from the church when she healed a Devil. I fail to understand what all of this has to do with Reincarnation."

"Jeanne d'Arc." At the vixen's confused expression, Sona began to explain. "When she was put on trial, in spite of her contributions to the French cause, she was treated as a witch and burned at the stake. Yet historians later proclaimed her to be a saint. Asia Argento was excommunicated by the church and branded a heretic, but it would still be possible for her reputation to be restored. A chance for her to be accepted once again into Heaven's graces. However, if she was to become a Reincarnated Devil..."

"Then she would lose any and all possibility of that happening..." Tamamo realized. If Asia accepted Devilhood, the light of God will forever be beyond her reach. "She'd forever be labeled a heretic."

"Worse, the Church would see her as an enemy." Sona nodded, a grim smile. "In the end... The only person who can make that choice is Asia Argento herself."

* * *

"Fou..."

Issei stirred, his body slightly chilly. No doubt because of his decision to walk through the rain without any sort of protection whatsoever. He wasn't as cold as he was when he walked through the front door, probably due to Tamamo being part sun and all that. Opening his eyes, he found the little white creature sitting on the coffee table, looking utterly adorable.

"Hey..." he greeted lamely as he pulled himself up, rubbing his neck. "Man... Was I out like a light? I don't remember falling asleep."

"Fou!" the creature chirped as it tapped its paw against something on the table, causing it to thump. "Fou fou!"

Issei looked down at whatever the critter was messing around with. His eyes widened considerably when he did, having not seen it since his date with Raynare. "The deck?!" He hastily sat up from his resting position and grabbed the stack of cards. "Where...where did these come from? I thought I lost them!" He hadn't been able to find them since the incident with Raynare. His gaze shifted to the small beast. "Did...did you find them?"

"Kyu kyu!" It chirped in confirmation.

"Wow...thanks a lot..." Issei trailed off. Even after a week, he hadn't really thought of what to call the cute critter. "...now that I think about it, I don't know what to call you. I know you're an adorable animal...but do you have a name per chance?"

"Fou."

"You do know I can't understand you, right? Actually, since you say 'fou' a lot, maybe it'd be better if I call you that?"

"Fou~!"

"Guess that settles the question." Issei joked. "Nice to meet ya, Fou."

"Fou fou fou! Kyu kyuuuu~" Fou leaped in joy before jumping onto Issei's face and climbed to the top of his head.

"H-hey..." Issei sweatdropped before he laughed. He was still a bit depressed, but the newly named Fou just seemed to find a way to cheer him up, if only a little. Now that he was wide awake, he remembered what he was told earlier today and his mood instantly plummeted. His face gave way to bitter frustration as he stared at his hand. The same hand that brought Tamamo-no-Mae back to life. The same hand that somehow brought him back to life. "Dammit... I have this amazing power to literally bring the dead back to life, and I don't even know how to use it. And even if I did, would it really help Asia?"

He still didn't quite understand this whole Heaven's Feel thing quite yet. He was still dreading seeing Asia not waking up the next time he saw her. He wasn't sure what terrified him more. The fact that he knew Asia was going to die, or that he was going to one day go to school and find her fresh corpse. He couldn't stomach it. He refused to accept it. He didn't want her to die. She has already been through so much. She didn't deserve death. She deserved a happy life.

His hands balled into tight fists. If only he new how to use Heaven's Feel to save her life. She could live freely as a human being. She could make friends, and go to school and...

Seeing Issei's distress, Fou prodded his head. "Fou, fou..."

"H-huh?" Looking up, he found Fou looking at him in concern. "Oh. Sorry, little guy. I'm just...worried about a friend."

What Issei wasn't aware of was that Fou, or rather Primate Murder, wasn't quite like an animal. Only those who were not human and could sense it for what it was. It was also intelligent, enough so that it understood the boy's plight. He was partially the reason why it was here. Zelretch had pulled a lot of strings to get it here, if only out of curiosity to see how things would deviate. From what it understood, Issei Hyoudou was the holder of a Sacred Gear that would have died at the hands of the Fallen Angel called Raynare, and then become a Reincarnated Devil.

Due to the events that surrounded Chaldea from its world, the boundaries between universes had become cracked, with one world's influence seeping into another. One such irregularity that was born from it was Issei Hyoudou's change of fate. Rather than being the holder of a Sacred Gear, he was born with the Heaven's Feel. Something that should only exist in its world.

Its role was to more or less act as guide and act as an observer. To see how things would go. While it had no intention of stepping in, it couldn't help but become quickly attached to Issei, as he reminded Fou greatly of the red-haired human that it befriended so long ago.

Seeing his obvious distress, Fou decided to act. It bounced off his head and snatched the Catalyst from his hands. "What the-hey!" Issei cried, not understand what was going on. Fou landed on the ground and looked at Issei from over its shoulder, nudging its head. Issei stared in wonder. "You, uh...want me to follow?" Fou nodded. "Um, okay..."

* * *

It had stopped raining, and the night sky was a thing of beauty. There was no rainbow, unfortunately, but the shimmering moonlight and the parting clouds more than made up for it.

Had anyone seen Issei being led around by Fou, they would have thought he was strange and maybe questioned if he was okay. Issei wasn't entirely sure what the little fuzzball was thinking, but he had a feeling that wherever Fou was leading him, it probably had something to do with the deck, or maybe it wanted a walk. Perhaps a way to help Issei clear his head. It was working somewhat, but not nearly enough.

Eventually, though, Fou had led them to their destination. One that Issei didn't expect. "The church?" he said in surprise, looking at Fou questionably. "Why'd you bring me here?"

Fou gave a muffled yip, the deck still in its mouth before it darted towards the church, slipping through a large hole at the bottom of the door.

"Hey!"

Issei followed after it. He opened the door and stepped inside the Church, which had been long since cleaned up after their escapades the previous week.

And by cleaned up, he meant the disposal of the corpses of the battle.

The interior still looked disheveled and run down. But Issei's attention was focused on Fou, who stood in a patch of moonlight that shone down from a hole in the roof. Strangely, for a moment, he could faintly see what looked like a silvery-blue aura around the tiny white fuzzball. For a moment, he thought he also saw something behind Fou. Something huge, far bigger than the church, radiating power and-

 ** _*bzt*_**

A film of static ran through his mind, causing him to draw a blank. 'The heck was that?' he questioned himself before chalking it up to the stress. Shaking his head, he approached Fou. "I have no idea why you brought me here, Fou, but I guess it's for more than a walk?" Fou grunted as it put the deck on the floor. He kneeled down and grabbed it before he looked back up, finding the half-ruined statue of the Virgin Mary in front of him.

"I remember back when this place used to be up and running," he recalled wistfully, a memory playing out in his mind. Back then, the church looked quite decent, with rows of benches still in pristine state and the statue still intact. There were few people in attendance, and two children were running around. "Shidou and I used to play here all the time when there was hardly anyone around. I remember Shidou-san getting pretty angry at us for interrupting mass, but he always managed to find time to mess around with us."

Those had been fun times...

...yet being here brought little to no warmth. Thinking back on it now, this was where everything had started to go downhill. His run-in with Raynare, Asia being kidnapped. Everything all started, and ended here. For Asia, though, it must have started far longer than that. The church was where she grew up. Where the priests taught her everything they knew and raised her. All her life, she lived by the bible and was taught not to fall under the sway of evil and all that crap.

Yet, when she healed a Devil, all simply for the sake of kindness, they threw her out and left her to whatever cruel fate the world might have had planned for her.

Staring at the statue, and remembering that all gods existed in this world, Issei felt a surge of anger bubble in his chest. His free hand balled tightly into a fist, nails digging into his palm.

"I don't know if you're listening or not, God, but..." he swallowed the dry lump in his throat as he glared up at the night sky, visible through the hole and envisioning he was talking to God face-to-face. If he could, he would have also spat in his face also. "I really want to punch you right now. Asia prayed for you, day in and day out. Your stupid "holy house" was her home for nearly all her life. She was nothing but kind to everyone, and what did you do? You didn't do a goddamn thing when your stupid fucking priests decided to make her a witch and toss her out!"

 _{{Trigger Recognized. Awaiting Key Word.}}_

Though the statue was not God, Issei thought it made for a good substitute and punched it. His knuckles burned and ached from smashing into stone.

"She didn't ask for this, god dammit! She never asked to be put on a damned pedestal!" He punched it again and again, ignoring the pain in favor of his rage. "She never asked to be your 'Holy Maiden'! All she wanted was a normal life and have friends! And now you're taking even a chance for that all away by leaving her to die?! The hell is wrong with you?!" His frustrations went unanswered. He fell to his knees while keeping a tight grip on the statue. His forehead slammed against the stone, tears welled up in his eyes. "Dammit...why won't you save her...? Just...save her..."

 _{{Triggers Received. Key Words Accepted. Awaiting HS Approval.}}_

"I don't care how you do it." he whispered, praying that someone - anyone - would just answer his prayers. "Just...save her. Please"

 _{{Approval Acquired. Identified as Jeanne d'Arc. Designated as "Ruler-type" Heroic Spirit. Opening up HF Circuits...}}_

As if a switch had been flipped, Issei's mind suddenly turned blank and filled with white noise. A rush of power suddenly raced through his body. A mix of blue lights began to flood the circuits that crawled up his body, spreading and encroaching every inch of his form until they dived into his pupils. His body stiffened and stood up, as if he were a puppet being tugged along by his strings. The deck in hand trembled before it snapped apart, breaking into segments. Like before when he called on Tamamo-no-Mae, the front and back of the vessel were hovering over the back of his hand and palm while its sides floated next to his thumb and pinky finger. A golden band of light wrapped around his wrist.

Cards danced around his form, spinning like a roullete. Like a puppet, obeying the will of the meister, Issei's hand rose forward to the spinning cards. While the cards continued to spin around him in a ring, one card rose up from the ring and spun around in front of his hand. It showed a woman in white robes, one hand cradling a sword and in the other a scale.

The golden markings on the pieces of the vessel began to glow in tandem with the band around his wrist. The circuits on his arm then began to extend outward, forming into branches that touched the card, which began to glow with light.

The magical power exuding from Issei grew intense with each passing second. As it happened, Fou watched on with vigilance.

* * *

Issei's actions had not gone unnoticed. The sudden surge of magical power could be felt all the way from Kuoh, as there was no Bounded Field to prevent magic from seeping out and alerting others, as the case had been when Raynare attempted to kill Issei the first time around. Sona found the teacup in her hand suddenly falling from her hand, hitting the table and spilling the contents across the table.

"What in the world?!" she cried in shock before rising to her feet. "This-this power..."

She recognized it. It was the same magical surge back when Issei Hyoudou was first attacked by Raynare. The exact same time when Tamamo-no-Mae appeared once more.

She immediately went to the far corner of the office and opened a secret compartment sealed by magic. To her shock, it was completely empty.

"The deck. It's...gone?!"

* * *

In a place that could only be considered a paradise, a pair of soulful blue eyes widened as a presence suddenly began to surface, emanating in one of the many old houses of God.

"This is..."

* * *

 _ **"-You didn't do a goddamn thing when your stupid fucking priests decided to make her a witch and toss her out-"**_

 _ **"-never asked to be put on a damned pedestal-"**_

 _ **"-why won't you save her-"**_

The words had been heard clearly, and a soul had responded. Deep within Issei's soul, where the gate resided, the left side bearing the mural of Ruler suddenly cracked before it groaned, doors slowly swinging open. Unlike when Tamamo had been called, where cherry blossoms and earthen tendrils seeped out, a golden light poured out from within the gate. A faint humming could be heard, reminiscent to that of singing. Birds flocked out and dived straight for whatever lay ahead of them. A lone figure stepped out, leaving her place of rest behind as an anguished soul cried out for her.

The woman looked up as the platform shattered apart, becoming a ball of white light that swallowed her up before it rapidly began to ascend, shooting straight for the surface, where she would be born into a new world. She had heard the desperate pleas of the one calling out, angered that God had not done anything to help a girl who's fate had been decided.

The World decreed that this girl, Asia Argent would die. She would abide by such rules, but not without putting her foot down, first.

It was her purpose, after all.

The ball of light broke free, shattering through the surface and dispersing. And with a smile, the woman emerged into a brand new world.

* * *

Unlike last time, Issei's consciousness had not immediately been thrown aside after the Heaven's Feel had activated without him knowing it. Unfortunately, he was at the cusp of unconsciousness as his body swayed, suddenly devoid of strength.

 _'What...just happened?'_ he thought tiredly, struggling to stay on his feet. He shambled forward, his vision blurry. There was something, or someone in front of him, but he couldn't see them at all. _'Why do I feel so...tired?'_

His legs gave out and he fell forward. A pair of slender arms caught him before he could. Whoever was in front of him felt warm, so much so in fact that he was reminded of the hugs his parents would often give him when he was much younger, with nary a thought about a woman's breasts in mind.

"I'm sorry I couldn't answer you sooner." the person told him, their voice practically like music. "Please get some rest."

He wanted to respond, but his body finally succumbed and he gave out, his eyes closing and his mind drifting away.

* * *

Asia woke up in the middle of the night, feeling worse than she had this morning. She had felt someone standing next to her, their presence familiar. She had thought it was Issei and Aika, but to her mild disappointment, she saw that it was Rias Gremory, the Devil who had been looking after her.

"I'm sorry, Argento-chan." Rias apologized when she noticed Asia staring at her. "I was changing the flowers in your vase. They were starting to wilt."

"I see..." Asia smiled weakly. "Thank you..."

Rias offered her a small smile in return as she took the dead flowers from the vase and set them aside before placing a new set in their place. Finished, she looked back at Asia and bent down. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm...fine..." Asia shook her head. "How is...Issei...and Aika...?"

"They're doing fine, last I saw them."

"Did you...tell them...?"

Rias's smile dimmed. "...yes." she told her. "Hyoudou-kun took it as well as I expected."

"I see..." Her expression turned solemn. She felt guilty for having the truth be known to him at this point. Even after all of his attempts to cheer her up and encourage her.

Sadly. she did not have much time left. She was not naive. Ever since she had been pulled off that mockery of a cross, she had felt her life dwindling away. She knew that her time on this earth was going to be cut short.

Her only regret had been that she wouldn't be able to see Issei and Aika any longer, or hold on to the promise of seeing more of the city.

"My offer still stands, you know." Rias told her, gently clasping her hand. "I know the circumstances aren't ideal, and you would be branded a witch forever, but..."

"Can I still think on it...?"

"Of course. But I'm afraid there is not a lot of time for your choice..." She said regretfully.

"Okay...I just...want to think on it..."

Rias nodded. Giving Asia's hand a squeeze, she stepped out of the room, leaving Asia to herself. The blonde nun turned her gaze towards the ceiling, deep in thought and memories.

It seemed quite odd when she reflected on her situation. All her life, she had been doing what was expected of her. Following God's will, being kind and compassionate, and helped whoever needed it. Twilight Healing had been a wonderful asset, but in a way, it also brought her no small amount of discomfort when the priests and bishops had started to use her for their own gain. Rather than try and tell them off, she simply went along with their wishes. All she was doing was helping people.

Yet, healing a Devil because of such desires had immediately earned her scorn and hate. She would not lie, it hurt. Grievously so. The people she once called her family friends scorned her, all for trying to heal someone who needed it. She didn't care that they were a Devil. All she cared about was that they were injured, and that they needed healing.

Being taken in by the Grigori had been of some concern, given her upbringing. Yet Azazel was not the person everyone made him out to be. He was quite sincere and helpful as he did his best to make her welcome. And when the time came for her to finally leave, he sent her to the one place he thought she would be the most safe at.

If only he knew that it wasn't safe at all. Yet, it was also thanks to him that she met such wonderful people.

And yet, it seemed as if God was testing her by putting her through this trial. She was left at a crossroads, and she didn't know what path to take.

"What should I do...?" Asia asked to herself quietly.

Then, a warm presence suddenly made itself known to her. "I believe the better question is, should you act on your own wish?"

"Eh...?" She questioned. However, she felt comforted by the new presence. It was so warm and soothing, as if it were the Lord's holy light. She felt at peace. She turned her head, finding someone new at her bed side. "Who...are you?"

Standing at her bed side was a woman around her age. She had long blonde hair tied in a braid that ran down her back, and compassionate blue eyes. Her developed figure was clad in silver armor and a blue cloak on the upper half of her body. She wore metal graves and stockers that stopped mid-thigh, leaving her upper thigh the only part uncovered by her attire.

Her attire and presence all gave her away. Asia had only heard of such people before in hushed whispers, but she would never mistake such warmth.

"Are you...an angel?" Asia found herself asking.

The woman smiled sweetly. "I'm afraid not. I'm but a simple servant of the Lord. Nothing more." she told her. "You are Asia Argento, correct? My name is Jeanne. It's an honor to meet you."

"Nice...to meet you...as well..." She smiled tiredly. "I'm sorry...I'm just so tired."

"I see that." Jeanne nodded, taking a seat next to her. "If I understand correctly, your soul is too far damaged, is that right?"

"Y-yes." Asia nodded. "Issei and Aika...they think I'll get better. Issei already knows...that I don't have much time left." She only ever saw him smiling or looking concerned. If she saw him when Rias gave him the truth, she'd probably break down into tears and apologize. She didn't want to imagine his face. "Aika said...we'd go see more...of the city. I'm...going to have...to break that promise."

"But you don't want to?" Jeanne asked.

"I...I don't...I want to be with them...I want to...be with my friends...I need to keep my promise..." Asia shook her eyes, eyes watery. "Rias...told me I could keep my promise...if I..."

"If you became a Devil." Jeanne finished. "And, you don't wish to become a Devil?"

"N...no..." Asks shook her head. "I...I don't want to betray the Lord..."

Her hands trembled as tears spilled from her face. "But I..." she sniffled, choking back a sob. "I don't want to break my promise."

Jeanne had been a paragon of virtue, listening intently while the poor girl poured her heart and soul out. She was a woman of the church, and remained as such even after the priests threw her aside. To her, the actions she had taken should have been something to admire. Even if the Church and the Devils were enemies, shouldn't have the act of kindness been something to look up to? Even in her final moments, she showed no anger towards the people who treated her so unfairly. She merely accepted it for what it was.

"Is it wrong to want to live?" she asked Asia. "Even if it means becoming a Devil? The Lord is the creator of all things. From the animals to us humans. The Angels, and even the Devils themselves. They are all His creations. Perhaps becoming a Devil is falling sway to temptation, but your heart belongs to Him, yes?" The nun nodded, not quite understanding what Jeanne was getting at. The woman then smiled and took Asia's hands into hers. "Then live. Live and lead a happy life. Even if you wallow in the dark, you are still His child, are you not? Surely, even He could forgive you for wanting to be selfish."

Tears spilled down Asia's face, bottom lip trembling. "Do you...really think so?"

"I believe so..." She nodded kindly.

* * *

Jeanne d'Arc had disappeared, shortly after Asia had once again fallen asleep. Two hours later, when Akeno entered the room to check on her, she found the girl deathly still, hands held in prayer and with a smile on her face. On the table next to her, sitting next to the vase, was a small letter she had written before her passing.

On April 13, 2012, Asia Argento had died.

* * *

 _"Silver and gemstone line the path. They forge the circle of the pact - calling to spirits of myth and legend to partake in the communion of battle."_

 _"Desires, ideals, ambitions...they become the core of the chant. The heroes of yore answer the call, vacating their thrones."_

 _"Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. The filling of thy cup continues until it breaks. The cycle repeats until power is made manifest."_

 _"Warriors of the sword, bow, and lance. Heroes of the chariot, tome and dagger. Legends of vengeance, madness and forgiveness. Together, they swirl at the center. O soul who weaves together the arcane - holder of all that creates and destroys...answer."_

He was here again. In this empty space, with only a faint light in front of him. The same voice called out to him, still incoherent, yet clear enough for him to understand. So many different tongues, so many languages, as if it were more than one person speaking.

 _"What is it you seek to obtain when...w...o...eg...s?"_

* * *

Issei found himself waking up to a most unusual sight. That is to say, a slightly ticked off Tamamo glaring down at him. "Mwuah...?"

" **I-s-s-e-i**...!" Tamamo growled, eyes watery before she brought down her fist. "You cheater!"

" _ITAI_!"

Let it be known that, for all her cute and cuddly antics, Tamamo really knew how to hit hard. She did held back considerably, as the poor pervert felt only a massive welt on the back of his head. Even so, it was a hell of a wake up call as he fell from his bed, tending to his poor wound.

"What the heck was that for?!"

"I can't believe you!" Tamamo whined pitifully, looking massively upset. The worst part was that Issei just didn't know why she was upset in the first place. "I know I haven't been as helpful as I should be, but-but that's no reason to bring some woman home with you!"

"Wait, what? Time-time out, what do you mean by that?!"

"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Hyoudou." a new voice, the same as the one he heard before he lost consciousness back at the church, said coming from behind Tamamo and from the doorway. "I honestly never intended for this to happen."

Looking over Tamamo's shoulder, Issei suddenly found himself lost for breath. "A-an Ojou?!" he cried in shock. Standing in his doorway was a beautiful girl, foreign like Asia, perhaps French, with long blonde hair that was pulled into a long braid and wonderful bluish-purple eyes, wearing a sleeveless button-up shirt with a black tie, a short skirt that exposed quite a bit of leg in spite of the thigh-high stockings, and brown shoes.

And just like Tamamo, she was completely out of this world.

"Mgrgrgr!" Tamamo grounded her teeth, whirling on her foot as she glared daggers at the new arrival, pointing an accusing finger. "You! I have no idea who you are, but stay away from my Husband!"

The girl giggled. "I can assure you, Tamamo, I have no intention of stealing your husband away from you." she said, causing Tamamo to blink. "I would say it's been a while, but these memories are so confusing. I can hardly tell one apart from the other."

"What?"

"Would it make more sense if I mentioned the names Hakuno Kishinami and Ritsuka Fujimaru?"

The Amaterasu Incarnation's eyes widened. Those names definitely sparked recognition in her mind. They were her previous masters from alternate universes and alternate timelines. "W-wait a minute... Are you-?!"

The woman bowed deeply. "Allow me to introduce myself formerly. I am Jeanne d'Arc, formerly a Ruler-class Servant. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintence, Mr. Hyoudou."

He blinked. Once, twice. Three times.

"...huh?"

* * *

Night 7: END

* * *

 _Next Time!_

Aika: Eh? Eh?! Asia-chan?!

Issei: I'll spare the Fallen, but I need a favor first.

Azazel: Alright, kid. Name it.

Sona: Could that woman be...?

 _ **Night 8: Repercussions**_

Issei: Why do I have this feeling something bad's going to happen next time...?

* * *

 **Over 600 reviews... As Kravin would say, "Nani the fuck?"**

 **At this point, though, I shouldn't be surprised.**

 **Real talk for a second. The scene with Jeanne and Asia kinda felt off to me. I felt like I could have done better, as was the case with last chapter. As I saw in the reviews, a lot were saying that it was either too fast-paced, all over the place or just one giant clusterfuck. I sincerely apologize for that. I hope this chapter mitigates the damage, if possible.**

 **Someone also accused me of nerfing the Heaven's Feel. To that person, may I say that I feel highly insulted? Ever since my last attempts at a DxD/SMT crossover, I've been very careful about what I do and do not nerf. The Heaven's Feel has not been nerfed in any way. Issei, at this point, has no idea how to use it yet, but with each use, he will learn. There is also the circumstances as to why he has HF and not Boosted Gear in the first place.**

 **Now, my knowledge of Type-Moon isn't the best, and often at times I have to consult the wiki, but to my understanding, only a few characters have ever used Heaven's Feel, and we never get a clear idea on how it works. Keep in mind, however, that the Heaven's Feel is being used in its home universe. As DxD is not part of the Nasuverse, it will obviously function differently. At its core, however, it is still the OP magic that makes resurrection look like a damn fad.**

 **Now, to explain how HF works here. To put it simply, when summoning a Heroic Spirit, there are two things that have to be kept in mind.**

 **1\. The circumstances that are leading up to the summoning. Examples: Tamamo's summoning was Issei being in danger, and not too long ago, fantasizing about his ideal woman. Jeanne's summoning was Issei trying to find some way to help Asia while also giving God the middle finger.**

 **2\. Words. Words can, and always will have power. In this case, certain words or the meaning behind those words will resonate with the Heroic Spirit. Like Issei dreaming of what his ideal girl would be like, or Issei's rant against god before pleading for him to just save her.**

 **Those are the major conditions to summon a Heroic Spirit.**

 **Moving on to another topic, I'm still annoyed people keep sending me suggestions as to who Issei should summon, even though I've repeatedly said I already have certain HS in mind. I will confirm only a few Heroic Spirits that will be summoned. The two being Musashi, who will help Issei get stronger after the events of the arc that is coming up next, and Frankenstein's Monster.**

 **Originally, I had planned on Scathach to be summoned, but given as to what I'm going for Issei and his "Badass Normal" status, I thought Musashi would suit him better. Cause, let's be honest. If I had Shishou as his teacher, he'd be OP as fuck. Sure, it would take a while, but damn if she isn't one hell of a teacher.**

 **Speaking of the new Arc, it will be taking the Phenex Arc's place in the story. The reason for this is more or less the events that have changed because of Issei summoning Tamamo, and as of recently, Jeanne d'Arc. I'll get more into that another time, but this arc is going to focus, as the next chapter's title would imply, on the repercussions of bringing back one of the most influential characters in the Shinto Pantheon.**

 **Anyway, that's it for now. Tell me what you guys think! Also, friendly reminder that Seventh Heaven now has a TV Tropes page, so feel free to add or change it however you like.**

 _ **See You~**_


End file.
